


All's Fair in Love and Calculus

by DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Beca's a Closet Nerd, F/F, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:20:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21751357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep/pseuds/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep
Summary: Chloe finds herself in need of academic help in her senior year. Beca is a quiet but mathematically gifted underclassman who offers to help.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 65
Kudos: 260





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of the IP to this story, and this has not been edited so all your ire is mine.

Beca squinted as she walked out into the daylight. She always hated how blinding it felt, walking from the dimly lit school interior to the outside world, a wash of white light that slowly resolved into visibility as her eyes adjusted. She swung her purse around and worked the zipper, sighing as it snagged in the same place it always did. She meant to replace the stupid thing, but there always seemed to be a better or more urgent place for her to spend her money. She finally got the zipper free and rummaged for the keys, a small ocean of crap impeding her until she finally felt the cold metal, a jingle sneaking out from within. She freed the keys and, somewhat surprisingly, nothing else clattered to the ground. Three weeks ago her search for a stick of gum had wound up dumping a small pile of tampons on her vice principal's shoes. That was the day she learned, much to her dismay, it wasn't actually possible to die of embarrassment. 

She straightened her purse strap onto her shoulder and glanced into the parking lot, trying to remember where she parked this morning, which was just unfair. How was she supposed to remember anything that happened at 7AM? She glanced to the right, looking for the tell-tale teal paint and spotted someone sitting on the planter to her right, recognizing the fiery mop of auburn curls immediately. Beca felt her heartbeat quicken for the briefest of moments as she looked at the girl she'd crushed on since she moved here her freshman year, then a frown started to creep its way onto her face as she saw the girl wiping her eyes and nose, clearly crying. Beca hated when people cried as it made her deeply uncomfortable, but something kept tugging her back, even though she wanted to just power walk to her car and pretend she saw nothing. Instead, she made her way over to the planter quietly, trying to figure out the least awkward way to approach the redhead. 

"Hey, umm, Chloe, right?" Beca started, nervously fidgeting her keys. 

Chloe looked up with a bit of a start, wiping her tears as she nodded. Beca took a half step towards the other woman, continuing. "Is everything alright? I mean, obviously not, like, you're crying. That's stupid, I'm sorry. Not you crying is stupid, I'm stupid." Beca paused, pressing her eyes shut, wishing she could disappear. She let out a small breath trying to pull herself together, finishing, "Are you OK?" 

Chloe cocked her head slightly as she listened to the younger brunette's nervous rambling, the corners of her mouth teasing into the beginning of a smile. She sniffed, offering a tiny nod that not even she looked like she believed, answering, "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks. I'm just having a shitty day."

Beca sat down stiffly, trying to decide how close she should sit. She found the ambiguity of social decorum frustrating. It never made sense; too far away and Chloe might feel insulted, too close and she was being creepy. She wished things were clear.

"I'm Beca." she began, looking sideways to Chloe, nervously twitching her eyes from the woman's pale hands and her cerulean blue eyes. "We're um- I'm in choir with you?" 

Chloe nodded, Beca seeing a glimmer of what she thought might be recognition as she continued. "Did something happen?" Beca asked, glancing up again, forcing herself to hold eye contact so the young redhead would know she was interested. 

Chloe sighed, and looked back up at Beca. "I just got my first exam for calc back. I'm failing." she explained. "Badly" she concluded, holding up the exam for emphasis. 

Beca grimaced as she saw the grade on the front, then edged a bit closer to the redhead. "Well," she began, drawing herself up with a small breath, "it's only one exam right? There's plenty of time left to do OK in the class." 

Chloe's shoulders slumped, her head shaking as she let out a humorless chuckle. "I don't understand anything my teacher has said." she retorted, looking back down to the test in her lap. "I've never been great at math, but all this stuff makes no sense to me." 

Beca looked at Chloe, overwhelmed by how defeated the taller girl looked. She tucked her hair behind her ear, wishing more than anything she could get Chloe back to where she was almost smiling a minute ago. A thought entered Beca's mind and before she could police herself she blurted out, "I could tutor you!" 

Chloe looked up, her jaw and eyes opening wider in slight surprise. Beca couldn't read Chloe's face and was instantly horrified that she had gone too far. Beca couldn't believe how stupid she was to offer to tutor an upper classman, she was going to think Beca was calling her stupid for offering. "I mean, if you want." she gushed, "You don't have to, that was dumb, I'm sorry for assuming you needed the help. I wasn't trying to-" Beca started to stand to just escape the mortifying mistake she had thrown herself in but Chloe grabbed her wrist to stop her and interrupted the torrent of speech she was letting out. 

"No, I appreciate the offer it's just." Chloe paused, "I don't mean to be rude, but do you actually know calc? I mean, aren't you an underclassman?" 

Beca nodded nervously, seeing a slightly skeptical look on Chloe's face when she finally looked up. She sat back down where she had been. "Uh, yeah, I'm taking calc three at Barden online right now." Beca answered quietly. Beca worried her cuticles, waiting for Chloe's inevitable snide remark about how lame it was that Beca was so far ahead in math. To her surprise Chloe's jaw dropped and she looked amazed. 

"That's amazing Bec! I took pre-calc when I was a junior, so I didn't think you would have taken it." she said. Beca was taken by surprise with the unexpected nickname Chloe had given her and found her stomach knotting itself at the sudden familiarity. She stared into the limitless blue pools of Chloe's eyes trying to read them then realized she had been silent for what was probably a full minute. She cleared her throat and broke eye contact again, finding the most interesting things about the hem of her coat. 

"Umm, thanks. It's not really amazing, I just like math." Beca offered, wanting to acknowledge Chloe's complement but not believing it. She glanced up again finally and saw Chloe's grin spreading across her face as she stared intensely. Beca couldn't figure out what to do with Chloe's smile, so she just let a shy grin of her own creep into her face as she felt a warm blush sneak from her cheeks to her ears. Finally Chloe spoke, and Beca was so relieved she almost sighed. 

"Well if you don't mind, I would love that. When is good for you?" Chloe asked, her eyes still on Beca. The younger brunette blinked, a moment or two passing before she seemed to comprehend that Chloe had asked her a question. Chloe's eyebrows slid up, her expression clearly waiting. 

Beca gave a quick little shake of her head as she came back to reality. "Uhh, I'm free now, if you want. I don't have anything most days after school." 

Chloe's face brightened. "Really?" the redhead inquired, her voice pitching up in her excitement "Do you want to come over to my house?" Beca's eyes widened in surprise at how animated the upperclassmen had become, but nodded. "Sure," Beca started, "would it be OK if I drove my car over, I don't want to leave it at school, people will crew with it." 

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "Totes!" she exclaimed, standing up and brushing off the back of her legs from the planter. "Do you want to follow me home?" 

Beca stood up as well, nodding as she straightened her purse strap. "Yeah, sure. Meet you at the bus loop?" the younger woman asked, her voice rising at the end of her question. Chloe nodded, grinning broadly, and the two young women separated and walked towards their cars.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blarghity blargh blargh, I don't own the characters, and I don't have a beta, so all the mistakes are on this guy.
> 
> There are some perspective shifts in this chapter (and will be for the remainder of the work). I think they should be apparent, but if they're confusing I'll consider adding a notation to clarify in the future.

Chloe groaned as she looked at the test beside her. The bright red 37 felt like it was going to burn her eyes. Chloe hadn't expected a great grade, not with the quizzes she had been getting back, but she had spent all weekend poring over her textbook and practicing and she had been certain she had at least passed. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves with a deep breath. It didn't really work. She didn't know what she was going to do; she had worked so hard to keep her grades up so she could get accepted at a good school, but getting an F in calc could very easily tank her GPA and ruin those chances. She couldn't help but see her mother in her mind, her reaction when Chloe told her mom she wasn't going to pass a class. Her mother's hands on her hips, the disappointment on her face. Disappointment, but not surprise. 

No matter how hard she worked Chloe's mom always managed to only see where she failed. Chloe looked up and saw the teal sedan that Beca had described pull up to the stop sign next to the bus loop where Chloe was waiting. Chloe wasn't sure why she had agreed to let Beca tutor her; Chloe was sure she was beyond hope. Nevertheless she had practically lept to agree, although Chloe would have done anything to stop the panic she had seen flooding the young brunette's face. If Chloe was being honest with herself the younger woman had been so freaking adorable in her tongue-tied state introducing herself, and Chloe was more than happy for a distraction. She felt a draw to the other girl, and although she'd been too busy to really even notice it, she realized she'd felt that draw since Beca had joined choir at the end of last year, and Chloe just wanted to get to know the nervous girl. Chloe came back to herself and offered a tiny wave to Beca before putting her car in gear and turning out of their school's main road, the light already green. 

Chloe glanced in her rear-view mirror, watching to see that Beca's car was still with her, just like Chloe's granddad had taught her. The drive to her home wasn't long, just over a mile on the state route their school was on, then a few minutes down a country road with green cypress and maple branches shading the road, with a long straight drive ending beside a small white plantation style home. Chloe was out of her car and inhaling the heady aroma of magnolia blossoms from the tree outside her window when Beca parked behind her and stepped into the humid air. Chloe watched as Beca moved around to the other side of the car and opened the door, and found herself unable to help but appreciate the younger woman's long slim legs as she stood back up, having retrieved her bags from the passenger seat. 

"Nice place." Beca offered, looking around at the spacious yard that ran off to the edge of the dense woods. Chloe couldn't quite read the shorter brunettes face, but she thought she heard a whisper of tension in Becas voice. Chloe studied the younger woman's face as Beca readjusted her backpack strap, the padded tether threatening to push her purse off her shoulder. 

"Thanks, I grew up here," Chloe finally replied, "let's get inside before any bugs notice us. You don't look big enough to survive a mosquito bite." Chloe winked at the other woman before making her way to the front door waiting beyond the porch. 

Beca rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips betrayed any actual annoyance at the ginger's innocent jab. 

Beca followed Chloe up the porch step and through the front door, cool air washing over them as they entered the climate controlled home. Beca looked at the room around her. From the outside she had guessed the home was fairly old, but inside whatever the original floor plan of the home had looked like she couldn't tell. The door opened into a warm and open living room.

A big, comfortable looking couch and sectional to her left were arranged around a fireplace a dozen or so feet inside, a large television mounted above it. A hallway disappeared in the farthest corner, just beyond the fireplace. A staircase rose directly in front of her, the wall beneath it obscuring part of a simple dining table set along the far wall, vanishing from view into whatever space was around the corner. Beca guessed it was the kitchen. Everywhere Beca looked there were warm touches, pictures of Chloe and two young men, some alone, some of them together. The men appeared slightly older from the pictures in which they were together. Older brothers Beca mused, wondering what Chloe had been like growing up. The room felt like a home, and continued the slight unease she had felt pulling in to such a comfortable looking home. Beca wasn't used to a home, she was used to a house. She slept there, but it was just some walls and a room with a bed. Chloe gestured toward the table against the far wall. 

"No one will be home for a while, so we might as well sit at the table." Chloe said, kicking her shoes off and leaving them on a low tray by the door. Beca self consciously followed suit and walked with the taller redhead toward the table, seeing that the he last few feet extended into the kitchen that had been hidden from view at the front door. If she had seen this house in an episode of one of her mom's HGTV episodes it would be described as an open concept, the living space opening into the kitchen along the rear wall, bright light coming in from the numerous windows facing the back yard. Beca sat down beside her bags as Chloe opened the fridge, pulling out two bottles.

"Want some water?" she inquired, holding the bottle toward Beca. Beca nodded, thanking Chloe as she set the water down in front of the brunette and sitting beside her. "So," Beca began, looking at Chloe, "what are you having trouble with?"

The older girl paused and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, worrying her lip after taking a sip of the offered water. After a few moments she gave an exasperated sigh, her eyes falling away from Beca's. "I don't even know, none of what my teacher has covered makes any sense." Chloe exclaimed, her frustration palpable. "I understood everything about functions and all that in pre-calc, but limits, and tangent lines, and everything. It doesn't make sense! What the heck is a secant?!"

Beca sat up, slightly taken aback. The redhead had managed chipper to defeated in no time, and she could see the telltale glassing that said tears were inevitable. Without really realizing it Beca put her hand on the older girl's forearm trying to calm her. Chloe took a breath and seemed to find a degree of peace from the touch, and after a moment Beca realized she hadn't taken her hand back. She awkwardly recoiled. Touches weren't what Beca did, she was tense, and uncomfortable around people. She never knew where the lines were, and she couldn't quite understand why she had put her hand out like that. 

"Um, that's fine. That's why I offered to help, yeah?" Beca responded, hoping her words would help encourage the taller girl.

Chloe watched Beca, her arm still feeling hot where the small brunette's hand had landed on her. Chloe was surprised that Beca had done it, Beca had always seemed awkward around people and Chloe remembered all the times she had bristled uncomfortably when anyone in choir had hugged the underclassman. All the same, Chloe caught herself missing the feeling as soon as it went away and wondered what that, or how quickly the touch had disarmed Chloe's rising panic meant. At length Chloe nodded at Beca's question, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. 

"Actually," Chloe said after a brief comfortable silence, "I have a homework assignment due the day after tomorrow. Do you think you could help me through it, and sort of take it from there?" Beca responded with a cocky smirk that Chloe had never seen, and she giggled in spite of herself seeing it.

"Sure thing Beale." Beca replied, and rummaged in her bag for her pencil. Chloe smiled at the nickname and pulled out her notebook and text herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I was mostly done when I decided I wanted to change the pacing of the chapter dramatically. Thanks for reading, and as before, I own none of this IP, and any/all mistakes belong to me alone. I hope you all have a happy holiday season, and a happy new year.
> 
> *Edited when I realized I installed a continuity error in what year Beca was in. She is, in fact, a sophomore.*

Beca looked up as the taller redhead beside her stretched, her long arms reaching above Chloe's head, back arching gracefully as it caught the colored light, slivers of sunset falling on her from one of the many kitchen windows. Beca swallowed and forced her attention back to the problem on Chloe's homework, hoping her glances hadn't been obvious. Beca wondered what time it was, she was confident they had been working for a few hours. They were halfway through Chloe's assignment, working on limits at infinity. It had taken about half an hour for Beca to explain and work through the basics of limits which Chloe had felt so intimidated by, but the senior seemed to be understanding things now, although admittedly the problems in her homework were getting a little more abstract. 

"All right, so for this one," Beca said, her hand pointing to the problem in the book, "what's the limit as x approaches infinity of 3x2 + 2x + 7 over x3 + 14x2 + 9?" Chloe stared at the paper, a hint of a scowl on her lips as her brow pursed.

"Well it's all to infinity over infinity, so it's improper right?" Chloe questioned, looking to Beca, who shook her head. Chloe's frown deepened.

Beca tapped at the denominator with her pencil, answering, "It's actually easier than that. With a problem like this you just look to see where the highest power is," Beca laid the tip of her pencil over the first term in the bottom half of the equation, "then treat it like that's the only variable going to infinity. See the third power down here?" Chloe nodded, her features blank for a moment. Beca waited, a knowing smile tickling the corners of her mouth. Chloe suddenly grinned and looked at Beca.

"It's zero, right?" Chloe exclaimed even as Beca nodded. Chloe animatedly circled the term with the highest power and wrote her answer, putting her pencil down with a smile. Beca's eyes caught Chloe's and realized the redhead had been looking at her. Beca's felt heat bloom in her cheeks and radiate to the tips of her ears as Chloe smiled at her, unperturbed that Beca had caught her staring.

"I think I'm tapped for tonight." Chloe muttered, closing her notebook. Beca nodded, her eyes resting on her hands as they worried the fabric of the table cloth. "Do you want to watch something for a bit?" Chloe continued, relaxing into the kitchen chair slightly as her head tilted as if to emphasize her question. Chloe noticed Beca's eyes widen in surprise.

"Umm, sure. I mean yes, yeah, thanks." Beca said, stumbling over her words as she nodded. Chloe smiled, probably because it was amusing how quickly Beca flipped from the self-assured, even cocky girl who had been helping her for almost two hours to the shy seemingly awkward underclassman from earlier. Or maybe it was something else. Chloe stood up and led the pair to the couch in the living room, waters in hand. Chloe plopped down comfortably on the left side, enjoying the moment of relaxation after a stressful day. Beca looked at the couch and Chloe with uncertainty before settling carefully on the far right of the couch. Chloe picked up the remote from the end table to her left.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" she asked, looking at Beca. Chloe giggled as Beca made a face like biting into the sourness of an under ripe kiwi. Chloe's eyebrow arched high. "Too long?"

"No," Beca began, shaking her head unhappily, "I'd just rather not watch a movie. They're boring." Chloe's jaw dropped in mock offense, even as she fought to contain a smile. "You don't like movies?!" the older redhead exclaimed.

Beca sighed, she knew her opinion was unpopular, everyone acted as if movies were the peak of artistic mediums. "No, it's fine, we can watch a movie if you want." Beca replied, sinking into the couch, bristling. Chloe giggled next to her and Beca rolled her eyes inwardly, wanting to be annoyed with the redhead, but still far too enamored to be angry. Chloe shook her head, then handed the remote to Beca.

"No, no, it's fine." Chloe said, her laughter subsiding, "I'm gonna warm up some popcorn, just pick something you'd like and we'll watch it when it's done." Beca nodded, taking the remote and picking the option on screen for Netflix. She browsed through for a few moments, finding a favorite show of hers and hoping Chloe would be interested.

"Do you like cooking shows?" Beca asked with a raised voice, looking over her shoulder but failing to see Chloe from within the kitchen. A sunny confirmation rang out from out of sight, so Beca sorted through the episode list to find a good season to start with. A few minutes later Chloe walked back, a glass bowl in her hand, and Beca unintentionally gave up a tiny moan as she smelled the buttery smell of microwave popcorn.

"Bake Off?" Chloe asked, looking at the screen. She smiled as she saw Beca's face light up enthusiastically, nodding with excitement. "Yeah, it's one of my favorite shows!" the junior began. "It's a British baking competition they do every year, they do a bunch of different baked dishes every week, and every week the judges pick who was best, and someone goes home, and everyone's super nice and British, and the baking is just incredible!" Chloe couldn't help but grin as Beca gushed, and Chloe realized she was almost certain this was the most the tiny brunette had ever spoken outside of her occasional nervous rambles. She sat down, closer to the younger woman, placing the popcorn bowl between them. "Awes. I can't wait." the redhead said, pleased to see that her words made Beca look even more excited, and the tiny math whiz settled comfortably into her seat, and began the episode.

* * *

Beca looked to her left to the taller redhead beside her. Chloe was totally absorbed in the show, leaning forward as the judges asked for one of the bakers to carry their final dish up front. Somewhere before the second episode started the empty popcorn bowl had disappeared and Chloe had moved closer to Beca, occasionally brushing her leg or arm against the underclassman as she animatedly moved while watching the show. Even though they were only on the second episode Beca could tell the older woman was hooked, and she suddenly leaned over and wrapped her hands around Beca's arm as her favorite baker walked to the judges.

"Oh, I hope they like Richard's!" Chloe said, thankfully oblivious to how Beca stiffened at the contact. The moment passed and Chloe sat back up, leaving the brunette flushed and tingling from the sudden touch. Beca looked back at the television, amused with Chloe's reaction. Richard had been her favorite baker from this season, by a long shot. She found herself thinking back on Chloe's incidental contact, missing it and confused by it in equal measure. Beca had always felt uncomfortable with touching, even her family rarely tried to hug her. Beca didn't like the intimacy because it was so often difficult to understand what it meant to the other person and she was wary she would misinterpret it. She didn't feel that way with Chloe. The redhead's touches, fleeting as they were, felt warm and something more. Something Beca didn't fully comprehend. She was pulled out of her reverie as Chloe squealed, and Beca turned, startled as Chloe dove at Beca in a hug.

"He won! I'm so glad Richard won!" Chloe shouted, and Beca found herself grinning in spite of herself as her face turned the color of a cherry. If Chloe noticed she made no move to call attention to it as she released Beca but remained close, leaning slightly into her, reaching the remote out and turning off the television as the credits crawled across the screen. She sighed, sitting up a bit but still in close proximity to Beca. The junior peaked an eyebrow, looking at the redhead now immediately next to her.

"So I guess you hated it, huh?" Beca said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. Chloe leaned back, her mouth agape in false indignation. "Didn't like it?" Chloe questioned, "I loved it! Thanks for telling me about this, I can't wait to watch the rest with you." Beca sat silent for a moment, not uncomfortably, as she took in what Chloe had said. Not finish the show, but watch it with her. Beca allowed a small smile, then fought it back, rolling her eyes at the older girl.

"You're so weird." Beca replied. Chloe looked over her shoulder at the clock on the wall and Beca's eyes followed. She saw it was nearly 7:30 and frowned. She wasn't sure when Chloe's family would be home, but she imagined it would be soon. 

"I should get going" Beca said softly, standing up with a stretch. Chloe looked like she was about to say something, her eyes holding Beca's in a way that appeared expectant. The front door opened before she could say anything and Beca shrugged as Chloe excused herself. 

She stood as a tall, solid man walked in. He was wearing gray jeans and a button down shirt with well worn leather boots, an armful of large rolled papers tucked under his arm. He had dusty blond hair, streaked with gray, and a strong square jaw rising up to handsome facial features and eyes which were astonishingly blue, just like Chloe's. The man saw Beca and smiled, nodding, before turning to Chloe as she made her way around the couch, wrapping his free arm around her in a welcoming hug, standing a good head or so higher than Chloe.

"Hi Daddy!" Chloe said in her usual sunny voice. "This is Beca, Beca this is my Dad." Chloe stepped back and turned halfway between her father and Beca, gesturing to the two in turn.

Chloe's father stepped forward and reached out a strong, callused hand which Beca accepted in her own. She returned his firm grip, conscious that her hand not be limp, and he smiled, although from the tight pressure on her hand, Beca knew he was barely squeezing. 

Chloe smiled, glad to see that Beca seemed comfortable enough to meet her father. "Beca's helping tutor me in calc Daddy." The older man nodded again then stepped past them to put down his stack of engineering schematics and plans from whatever job he had been working on that day. He stepped toward the sink and leaned over to wash his hands.

"Your mother just texted me," he began, his back still turned, but clearly addressing Chloe. "She's grabbing a rotisserie at the market and will be home in just a minute, she's got to help Matthew set up for the church meeting tonight, so she didn't want to take a lot of time cooking. Your friend's welcome to stay for supper."

Chloe turned, a smile growing across her face as she turned to Beca. "Yeah Beca, stay for dinner, it's the least I can do since you already helped me a ton today." Chloe looked at Beca, hoping the underclassman wouldn't have a conflict. The brunette looked unsure and slightly uncomfortable, puzzling Chloe.

"Uh thanks, but I should-" Beca began fidgeting with her nails, her eyes falling to the floor, "I should go, it sounds like you guys are busy." The shorter woman began to sling her bag over her shoulder, picking up her purse with her other hand. "It was nice to meet you Mr. Beale." Chloe's face dropped, crestfallen. She followed Beca as the brunette walked toward the front door, the sound of the kitchen water disappearing as Chloe's father must have turned the faucet off.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Chloe asked, her voice rising in pitch hopefully. Beca turned, and the young woman appeared torn, encouraging Chloe to take a half step toward her, her features twisting to be more plaintive. 

"I should be getting home, and your dad probably wants to talk to you. And your mom before she has to leave." Beca says, her shoulders hiking upward in a shrug.

Chloe nodded noncommittally. "Alright, well thanks again for everything. I don't know what I'd have done without you, and it was a lot of fun watching Bake Off. Even if you're a total popcorn hog." Chloe said, winking at the shorter woman. Beca felt her face flush, embarrassed.

"I'm kidding Beca, I would have made more if I wanted it. Text to let me know when you want to study tomorrow, and so I know you got home safe.

Beca offered a tight lipped smile and nodded to Chloe's requests, and made her way out the door. She looked over her shoulder, responding to Chloe's wave with a small one of her own, then climbed into her car.

_Safe_ , she thought finally. Chloe's touch made her feel safe. She turned her car over then looked over her shoulder, watching behind her in the dim glow of her backup lamps carefully as she backed out of Chloe's long driveway, then turned back toward the main road and headed home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. Work and repeat illnesses made it difficult to concentrate when I sat down to write. The next update will be much sooner since this chapter had started to run pretty long and I decided to rework it a bit to a natural breakpoint, so at least the next wait shouldn't be so long, and thanks to all those who have left feedback so far!
> 
> As always, I own none of these IPs, and am currently sans beta, so all errors or general quality issues are mine and mine alone.

Beca turned the volume up on her stereo as she navigated the familiar roads towards her home. The bass throbbed and the speakers pushed out so much sound they were causing the door to vibrate, the sound tinny, but Beca didn't really mind. As much as she loved music she was just trying to drown out the thoughts in her head. 

She had been enamored with Chloe since the day she had met her, and spending the afternoon with her had been like a dream. More, Chloe seemed to genuinely like her. Maybe not like like her, but they definitely had enjoyed chatting and eating popcorn through the Bake Off, and if Chloe had only wanted Beca's help she could have just let her go home when they finished studying. 

The redhead had also given a number of touches which were confusing to Beca. Beca was never certain what people meant by their touches, and the not knowing made Beca anxious. Before her father had left Beca had been seeing a developmental psychologist who thought that Beca might have a very mild type of autism spectrum disorder, but when her father walked out on Beca and her mother they lost their insurance. Beca's mother couldn't afford to keep taking Beca, and the school didn't think Beca's inability to understand social cues and discomfort was enough of an impediment for them to assign her any resources, so Beca made do the best she could. 

She understood the idea that touch was significant, but touch was like so much that her peers seemed to understand that evaded her. She knew from movies and books that a touch could let a friend know they were supported, or tell a lover they were wanted. Touch could comfort family or console the grieving, but how did you know? Did Chloe's hand on her arms mean that Chloe was thankful, or that she liked Beca too. Did she put her head on Beca's shoulder because she was just tired, or was it something else. Beca grunted out loud in her frustration. 

Not only was she confused by what Chloe's touching meant, but Beca didn't want her to stop. Beca didn't even like her mother hugging her, but even as confusing as Chloe's contact was, Beca didn't want to push her way. If anything the tingly electric feeling made Beca yearn for it more, and Beca didn't know what to do with that. 

Beca realized she was almost up to her turn, she had been so lost in thought she almost drove past it. With a twist of her wrist she flicked the stalk upward, hearing the tell-tale ticking from her dash that her indicator was on, and only after she slowed to make her turn. The wheel came back to center and the blinker clicked off, the procedure of it in some very small way calming Beca a little bit. The rules of driving another orderly system she didn't have to decipher, just follow. She sighed as her side by side duplex came into view around the lazy bend in the street. 

The real reason Beca had felt so anxious came back to the front of her mind as she saw the shabby grass, about a week overgrown, the fading paint, and the patched screen door. No perfumed magnolia trees in a side lawn. No friendly knick-nacks on the porch. And inside, she knew, not really a home; just a house. Walls and doors with a bed and a microwave inside somewhere. 

Chloe Beale was a smart, gorgeous senior, with a warm home that probably had boxes of decor for every season somewhere in the basement. Orange and red for the fall, gold, green and red for the first few weeks of December, blue and silver for the rest of winter. Lime green and sunny yellow for spring and summer. Every month a box, curated like a Pinterest dream, festively matching whatever CD Starbucks had on special. Beca didn't know how any of that worked, so who was she kidding wondering if Chloe liked her. She tried to ignore how the thought made her stomach twist unpleasantly as she parked along the curb, pulling her purse and bag out with her as she exited the car and made her way into the house.

* * *

Chloe smiled at her father as he walked into the kitchen, his professional work clothes traded for a pair of well worn blue jeans and a faded Queen tshirt. Chloe had gotten her love of singing and music from her dad. Growing up her dad had always had classic rock in the stereo instead of Raffi tapes or Disney musicals, teaching Chloe and her brothers the words to Eleanor Rigby and Don't Stop Me Now. Long car rides were made shorter with the three of them belting out classics and giggling as the miles vanished.

"Do you mind setting the table for dinner sweetie?" he asked, reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out salad ingredients. Chloe nodded and began laying out the four table settings. She and her father moving around one another in comfortable silence until finally, after a few minutes, he laid a glass bowl full of crisp washed lettuce and salad fixings as Chloe put the final water glass out. She looked around for the pitcher, confused that it wasn't in its usual place, then spotted it. Half full next to the window planter. Even as she rolled her eyes and moved to grab it she heard the front door open again, her mother's voice joined by the savory smell of roasted chicken. 

"Hi John, Chloe! Could you get the table set!" Chloe's mother's called out. 

Chloe heard her father reply, "Lynn, Choe just finished up the table honey, how was your day?" She dumped the water left inside the pitcher and gave it a short rinse before flipping over the tray of ice cubes and twisting it, half the tray falling into the pitcher, the ice tinkling like crystal bells inside the glass vessel, drowning out whatever her mother said in reply to her dad. Chloe looked up as her mother walked in. The taller woman saw the table and smiled at Chloe, her smile more dazzling than her husband's. 

"Chloe, you read my mind. Thank you dear." the older woman said. Her hair was a rich auburn, darker than Chloe's by a few shades, but unmistakable where the younger redhead got her looks from. A few subtle streaks of gray were peaking out at her temples, but it did nothing to detract from the woman's good looks. She had on a light silk blouse which still managed to be stuck to her skin in the humid evening, but it gave her a slightly exotic Katharine Hepburn mystique rather than looking like someone who should have showered after work. The woman turned without another word as Chloe filled the four glasses. 

Satisfied that everything was in order, she picked up her bag and made her way upstairs. She swung her backpack by its strap as she walked through her bedroom door and it arced slightly before landing unceremoniously on the bed. She stepped around the bed and into her bathroom. She lifted the faucet handle up and the water came on with a soft whoosh. Chloe rested her thumb on the spout, dipping her finger into the stream every few moments as she waited for the water to warm up. Her eyes locked on herself in the mirror, and she noticed the small smile that was still on her face, and her thoughts turned to the young woman who had put it there. 

Chloe had always thought the petite brunette was cute, ever since she moved. It would have been impossible for Chloe not to have taken notice, for as quiet a woman as Beca was she had an undeniable presence that held a room when she walked in. Beca was so different from the people Chloe was usually surrounded by. She wasn't obsessed with being popular, she didn't worry about wearing the right clothes, and if Chloe was honest, now that she'd seen the girl's hidden confidence when she was talking about things she was passionate about Chloe couldn't get her out of her mind. 

She washed her hands then dried them on the soft towel that hung next to the door. She frowned, seeing herself in the mirror as she thought about Beca's tutoring. Chloe knew she had to tell her mother about the test, her reaction would be far worse if she found out that Chloe hadn't been forthcoming. Chloe flicked the light switch and her reflection vanished in the seconds it took for her eyes to adjust from the brilliance of the vanity lighting to the leftover light spilling in from her bedroom past the door. As she looked into the black plane of the mirror, where her reflection had vanished to nothing, Chloe grunted in bitter amusement. That was kind of how she felt, invisible and lost. 

She turned and exited the bathroom, then her bedroom, and came back downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was finishing up plating the carved rotisserie chicken, one of the kinds that would rotate on a spit for their cooking time in a supermarket, visible to the public as they spun and spun, the skin growing brown and crisp as they cooked. Her mother turned, a plate in each hand, and placed it on two of the kitchen place settings nearest to her.

Chloe heard the door open again, and a few moments later she saw her brother Matthew come around the corner. He smiled as he made eye contact with her, and quickly moved past her, shifting sideways as Chloe stepped back, both trying to make room for the other. 

Matthew said, "Hi Ma!" as he walked up and carefully hugged Chloe's mother, his arms high so he wouldn't accidentally disrupt her hold of the kitchen knife in her right hand. The woman grinned as she looked over her shoulder, stretching her neck to kiss Matthew on his cheek.

"Hi honey, go sit down, I'm just putting the chicken on." Lynn said, turning back to the chicken breast she was slicing. Without turning she said, "Chloe, go be a dear and tell your father dinner is served." The last pile of sliced chicken was stacked and Lynn turned, leaning over the table to reach the two settings with no plates. Chloe walked past the refrigerator and out the far side of the kitchen around the corner to her father's study. John Beale was sitting at a drafting table, brilliant light from an articulated lamp bathing the table and the plans on it in a pool of light. Chloe came up behind her father, one arm wrapping around his shoulder in a hug as she rest her chin on his other arm, looking at the blueprints he was inspecting over his shoulder.

"Mama says dinner is ready Daddy." Chloe said quietly. The man let out a low contemplative hum which Chloe knew was his was of acknowledgement. The sheet of paper was large, several feet across in both directions she guessed. The plans showed a complicated building layout, warrens of what looked like hallways with overlapping and intersecting lines crawling everywhere, like the game trails of a colony of robotic ants. Chloe asked, "What's that one gonna be?" 

"The hospital is breaking ground on a new building, they're gonna move all their pediatric services into this gorgeous new campus." John said, his hand gliding over the plans like he was envisioning the final project as he looked over the tangled web of geometric shapes in two dimensions. He continued, "ICU, perinatal, long-term care, all of the services for kids will be there with family accommodations for families with sick kids fighting cancer and crap like that." 

Chloe smiled, her father's passion for his projects one of her favorite things. It was infectious, how he didn't just see steel and concrete and glass, he always saw what his clients saw in their buildings. Chloe stood up and gave her father some space, and he spun around on his stool then stood, following Chloe out of the study and into the kitchen. The found Matthew and Lynn seated, Lynn pouring some wine for herself. John pulled out the chair across from Matthew and waited a moment while Chloe sat before taking the last chair for himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as promised here's another chapter pretty soon. You can see why I thought this had grown too long for one chapter. While I'll hopefully be more consistent with my updates compared to chapter 4 don't expect big back-to-back updates super frequently, especially since I'm trying to get one or two of my other stories to the point where they're ready to start posting. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> As always, I don't own these IPs, so don't try suing me, and apologies for any mistakes or poor quality, my mistakes are mine alone.

Beca packed her last notebook into her backpack just as her phone pinged, her homework for the night finished. She pulled the phone out of her back pocket, swiping her finger to unlock the screen, and read the text message from her mother. Beca sighed. Her mother was picking up a few extra hours for a friend at work, and was telling Beca to make some dinner since she'd be late. Beca wasn't surprised, and she knew that her mother was just trying to provide for them. 

The young brunette walked out of her bedroom to the kitchen, a corner setup with a patch of faded vinyl flooring butting up against beige carpet of the adjacent living room with a dirty brass strip separated them. Beca hated that damn strip, it always seemed to be ten degrees colder than the surrounding floor, the nails securing it to the floor were loose and had put holes in countless pairs of socks since they moved here, and the ugly worn metal stood out - an ugly scar, like the no-man's land at the 38th parallel dividing the Koreas. 

She opened the top door to reveal the freezer, wisps of condensing vapors reaching out around her face. The scent of old frozen vegetables came with the cold air, and she scrutinized the contents before picking out a frozen pot pie. This one was one of the types that needed a microwave and an oven. Beca read the box and poked at the combination of buttons on the oven that would start preheating the appliance to the desired temperature, then opened the cupboard for a plate. Not a huge plate, or a tea saucer; right in the middle. She opened the pot pie package, tearing at cold plastic and dropped the frozen puck onto her plate, the solid thud of the food hitting the plate followed by a bright ping as the plate bounced a little on the counter. Beca opened the microwave door and unceremoniously shoved the plate inside, setting the microwave to the direction's demands. She started the machine up and sat down at the small flat-pack table, watching the pot pie spin inside its tiny prison, fuzzy through the little mesh that every microwave window has, bathed in incandescent light.

Beca stared, zoning out as her thoughts wandered. She thought about microwaves, and how they used similar frequencies of energy to ordinary WiFi. She thought about Maxwell's equations that she learned over the summer when she took a college physics course. And inevitably she thought about Chloe, and her tutoring. Chloe was smart; much smarter than she gave herself credit for. She was, Beca thought, like a lot of people. She had been taught that if she didn't understand something the way that it was taught in school she must be dumb, or she would have gotten it. Beca had learned at a young age that the way that everyone is used to teaching things isn't always how everyone can learn it. Beca was lucky in a way. On one hand, dealing with people confused her, and made her deeply uncomfortable because she was scared that she would screw something up and upset someone, because the rules didn't seem consistent. A smile was friendly until it wasn't, then it was a flirt. If someone asked you to get dinner maybe they just wanted to talk and eat or maybe they'd expect you to know it was a date. It was all nuance and exception and reading between the lines. 

For all that, however, Beca found learning most things came very easily for her. Math and sciences were very approachable, because she could learn the rules and apply them, and as she kept learning the rules didn't seem to change very much. They got more complicated, and often stood on the shoulders of other rules, like a tower, but in the end if you remembered the rules and followed them you'd get the answer, and there was always a right answer to find. History was just remembering dates and names, but everyone was long since dead, so it wasn't going to change, and Beca never needed to wonder what Pol Pot's body language meant when he came to power in the fifties. She understood that for many people it wasn't so simple to follow those steps, and for them it was kind of how she couldn't understand the meanings of expressions or gestures. So Beca knew Chloe just needed to find a way for her to understand the rules. The beeping of the microwave pulled Beca back out of her thoughts, and she pulled the pot pie out, transferring it to the now warmed oven. She poked the same buttons on the oven, this time setting a timer to the same set of instructions she had been following on the package, then pulled out her phone to message the redhead on the other side of town.

* * *

Chloe rubbed the kitchen brush against the white porcelain plate, the leftover food and dressing washing away under the stream of water from the faucet. She turned the water off and set the last plate into the dishwasher, followed by the silverware which had been sitting on top of the plate when it had been carried in. Dinner had been pleasant enough, Chloe's father discussing his day, Lynn talking about plans for the church's summer bake sale, and Matthew telling Lynn what still had to be done for the fundraiser meeting that the church was holding that evening. Chloe had mostly sat quietly, always happy to hear about her father's stories from work, and politely listening about her mother and brother's events. Chloe would occasionally comment about something that she could relate to what they said, but mostly ate in peace. 

Her mother and brother were both deeply involved in their church. Matthew had become the pastor the year previously, and her mother had always been active growing up, trading attendance for active service when Matthew had shown interest in becoming a youth pastor in high school. Despite having grown up in the church Chloe had never felt the same connection as her older brother or mother, she wasn't sure what she thought about God, and she really didn't need to sit on a hard wood pew an hour a week to listen to what someone else thought about it either. 

Matthew had excused himself a few minutes earlier, standing up as soon as he finished eating to get over to the church. Her mother was upstairs changing before she followed him, and her father had moved back into his office after he had helped her with some of the dishes, scrubbing the cutting board and other larger things and setting them into a drying rack next to the sink while Chloe had taken care of the plates and utensils. Chloe moved back to the table, picking up the four glasses - the last of the dishes- and placed them deftly in the top slide out rack to the dishwasher. She tossed a tiny gel packet of detergent into the trap door of the appliance then closed the door, the sharp click muffled within the heavy insulation of the appliance. Her finger pressed intently on a tiny membrane button, and she paused for just a moment to wait for the hushed whoosh that indicated the dishwasher had begun its cycle. Chloe couldn't think of a time that the machine hadn't started a hushed whoosh after she pressed the tiny button, or when the machine hadn't done an admirable job of cleaning and sterilizing the dishes, but it was a habit. 

Chloe knew she'd enjoyed as much time as she could avoid telling her mother about the test, so she took a quiet breath and walked out of the kitchen, away from her father's office, and walked up the stairs, footsteps silent on the waterfall carpet cascading down the steps. Her parent's door was the first on the right once you reached the stairs, larger than the other bedrooms and the only room stretching over the kitchen and her father's office to the right of the house. To the left stretched a short hall with Chloe's and her brother's rooms, one bathroom shared by both of her brother's rooms had a door into the hall between their doors, where Chloe's was simply off her room and only had one door. Chloe turned to the right and knocked solidly on the door molding to get her mother's attention. The door was open, the Beales were pretty open and trusting as families went, but Chloe wanted to respect her mother's privacy. 

Chloe's mother said "Come in." Her voice muffled slightly, like she had something over her face or was bent over speaking away from the door. Chloe walks in to see her mother getting ready, her silk blouse traded for a blue and white striped tie front blouse, the sleeves rolled up and buttoned below the elbow, dark indigo jeans beneath. Chloe couldn't honestly remember if her mother had been wearing the pants at dinner, but decided probably not. Her mother was fastidious about her appearance, she had grown up with plenty of money and her parents thought impressions were everything, so Chloe doubted her mother had left on pants with a whole day on them when she could be impeccable to impress the meeting attendees. Chloe's mother didn't turn or even really acknowledge Chloe, instead leaning into the mirror above her dresser, adjusting the dangling earrings she had just put in. After a moment of silence she turned, looking at Chloe sideways with one raised eyebrow. Chloe stood up straight from where she had been leaning against the wall, her hands falling behind her like a child awaiting inspection. 

"I got my first calc test back today." said Chloe, her eyes glancing around as her mother's had turned back to the mirror as she twisted and contorted her face to check her makeup at different angles. Chloe continued, "I didn't do so well, but I'm getting tutored by one of the girls at school. She's ahead in math actually, she's taking college calcu-"

Lynn cut Chloe off sharply, saying, "Didn't do so well? What's not so well?"

Chloe looked up and saw that her mother's eyes were back on her now, and she had turned away from the mirror, facing Chloe at a 3/4 view. One hand was imperiously perched on her hip, and her eyebrows high in expectation.

"Thirty-seven, but I wasn't getting the material and I think I understand it better-" Chloe answered, her explanation again being cut off by her mother who scoffed and turned back to the mirror.

"Of course you weren't, what a shock." her mother answered coldly. She was now straightening her shirt, the bright can lights above the dresser lighting the lapels and shoulders dazzlingly but casting harsh shadows beneath. "Well," Chloe's mother began, pausing briefly, "try not to waste this girl's time like you waste everyone else's." 

Chloe's stomach twisted, and bit the inside of her cheek to stay stoick. She knew her mother saw nothing but weakness when she looked at Chloe, and the younger redhead certainly didn't intend to let her mother see her cry from what she had said to Chloe. Lynn walked past Chloe, and after a moment Chloe could hear her mother's heels on the hardwood at the base of the stairs. Chloe could hear the jingle of keys for a moment, cut short, she imagined, because her mother had put her keys in her pocket or inside her purse. The front door opened, and a few seconds later, clicked closed. 

Chloe made her way down the hall and entered her room, closing the door behind her and flipping the light switch by the door distractedly. The lamp beside her bed blinked on, soft warm light glowing from the lamp shade with a pool of brighter light on the bedside table beneath, and a circle of light on the ceiling above. Chloe sat down, feeling the first tear crawl down her cheek, and she sniffed and wiped it away. Her phone chimed softly from beneath her, and she leaned to the right to dig it out of her pocket. The screen was still lit from the notification, and she saw she had a new message request on social media. She swiped the screen and the application jumped to the screen. Chloe sniffed again, an eager smile growing on her face as she saw the message request was from a Beca Mitchell. 

**Beca Mitchell** : _Hi Chloe, it's Beca. Obviously. You didn't give me your phone number so I had to find you on here, sorry. I promise I wasn't trying to be all creepy stalkery, but I had no other way to plan for tomorrow._

Chloe swore as she realized Beca was right, she had been so mopey when the younger girl had been leaving she completely forgot to exchange numbers. Chloe chuckled as she read on, it didn't take much to imagine the brunette rambling in real life about not being a stalker, and Chloe gnawed on her lower lip as she tapped out a reply with her thumbs.

 **Chloe Beale** : _sorry!!! I totes forgot u didn't have my #. 4785555683_

Chloe's phone chimed a few seconds later and she switched to her messaging application. A new message popped up at the top of the list, bold text indicating it hadn't been read yet. Chloe tapped it to bring up the conversation.

 **2065552883** : _Hi Chloe, this is Beca, this is my cell._

Chloe smiled and tapped the screen rapidly, typing as she saved Beca's contact.

 **Beale** : _sorry i 4got 2 give you my num lol, thx 4 finding me! n e idea when u want 2 meet 2morrow?_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _Jeez Beale, do you need tutoring in English too? I'm free the same time tomorrow if you want._

Chloe scoffed as she read the message, rolling her eyes at the tiny geniuses formality. Of course she typed like a professor, and probably proof read her messages too. Chloe grinned and rolled her eyes

 **Beale** : _mean! who types full words n e way? r u a secret Victorian lol? 2morrow after school sounds awes, can't wait! any snacks u want me 2 get? <_

* * *

Across town Beca smiled as she read her phone screen, rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time reading Chloe's atrocious texting. She couldn't decide which was more difficult to sort through, the occasionally incomprehensible shorthands that Chloe picked, or the sporadic and repeated emojis.

Beca leaned back on the couch in the living room, a steaming pot pie cooling on the coffee table as steam poured out of the stab wound inflicted by Beca's fork. The single uplight floor lamp next to her shot light up to the ceiling. The lamp was pretty bright, but the duplex had high ceilings, so the light's throw seemed ineffective and underwhelming at its job of lighting the room. Beca imagined that the high ceilings were probably supposed to be a selling feature, they probably were supposed to make it a luxury townhome when the builder decided on them who knows how long ago. All it meant to Beca was that their lamp did a crappy job of lighting the room once the sun went down, and it probably meant the place sucked to heat, although that certainly wasn't a problem now in the summer heat.

Beca knew her dad would have complained about a place with ceilings like this back in Seattle, a few thousand miles and what felt like a lifetime ago. For an English teacher Beca remembered him more like an accountant, all the conversations at home about money, and how much of it Beca's mother didn't seem to care if they spent. Beca's mother was more artistic, she liked things like high ceilings and exposed beams and all sorts of things Beca had heard lauded on the home improvement shows her mother loved. 

Her mother claimed she liked the shows for ideas they gave her, but if Beca guessed they were probably more of an escape for her. Watch two cute brothers rebuild someone's house into a dream home and forget that you're living in a duplex supporting your daughter by yourself. Beca looked down at her phone, realizing that she hadn't responded to Chloe's last text message and felt a little guilty, especially since Chloe was trying to be nice enough to ask what snacks she liked. 

**QT Math Whiz** : _I'm easy, anything but celery._

Beca put her phone down and reached for her dinner but the phone pinged again almost instantly, so Beca changed the aim of her hand and picked her phone back up.

 **Beale** : _Wut did celery ever do 2 u?_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _It's all stringy, ugh. I'd rather have carrots or apples or anything but celery._

The message was signed with a several carrots, what looked like a gerbil, then three angry faces. 

**Beale** : _omg, u can use emoji!!!_

Beca laughed in spite of herself, typing out her reply and tapping send before dropping her phone next to her, within easy reach of her left hand, then picked up her plate with her right. She dug in to her dinner as she queued up her favorite YouTube chef's newest episode and texted back and forth with Chloe, laughing at the chef's dry delivery and TV references and rolling her eyes at Chloe's texts well after she'd finished her food and into the darkening night while Beca waited for her mother to come home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, school, interviews, and writer's block were conspiring.
> 
> As per the usual, I don't own this IP, nor do I have a beta, so don't sue me and please forgive the screwups.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated, and thanks for all the positive responses and suggestions you've all been kind enough to offer already!

Chloe trailed her fingers along the cool dimpled surface of the painted cement blocks that made up the walls of her school. It was incredibly loud, the crush of students spilling into the hall and rushing to wherever they need to be with only minutes to get there, voices raised and the sharp clang of lockers being slammed closed drowning out any one sound. Chloe had just finished French class and was on her way to choir. The language arts hallway was just above the hallway that led down to the rehearsal space for the choir, which meant she had plenty of time to get there. She was eager for choir, not only was it one of her favorite slots in her schedule since she loved to sing, but it meant she'd get to see Beca. The younger woman had been tutoring Chloe for a little more than a week, and the two had become fast friends. Most days Beca would come over to Chloe's house and help her with homework assignments or explain a lesson that Chloe had found incomprehensible, and the senior was surprised at how much it was helping. Beca had a way of relating the material that was far more intuitive than the text book or her teacher's lessons. 

Once she was parallel with the two doors that opened into the stairwell she darted through the thick flow of students. The stairs were wide, both sides could let three students walk side by side without feeling cramped, and a handrail ran up the center to effectively divide the stairs into two sort of lanes. Normally the flow of kids would follow a natural order, people stuck to whichever side was the right from their perspective, just like driving down the street. Kids walking down the stairs usually stuck to the side that ran along the outside wall while students coming up would usually walk farthest from the wall, hugging the rail that separated them from the open space in the center of the stairwell. Chloe made her way downstairs, sticking to the right like usual, trying to ignore the din which seemed amplified in the open space of the stairwell. She made it to the first floor where an identical pair of doors were opened into the main hallway that ran the full length of the school. 

The first floor hall was busier since there were a number of wings that weren't accessible from the second floor. The athletic spaces, the music department, the technology classrooms, and the dining areas all sprouted from the first floor corridor, like ribs reaching away from the spine of an enormous organism. Chloe ducked to her right and found a neat hole in the moving biomass that made up the hallway, walking with the flow of tightly packed people. She had passed by a few doors when she spotted Beca, the tiny girl's dark brown hair braided in neat tresses that lay over the collar of a dark green flannel shirt. The underclassman was huddled in the alcove created by one of the doors, the metal frame boxing her in like a still life. She had her back pressed against the thick wooden institutional door, her eyes fixed on her phone. Given the oversized headphones wrapped around the brunette's ears Chloe guessed she was listening to music. The senior had noticed that Beca seemed to feel even less comfortable in big noisy crowds than she was around people to begin with, and Chloe found herself wondering if the music helped distract Beca from the bedlam around her. 

The redhead moved towards her friend, her small size and advantage as she wiggled through the gaps that others wouldn't aim for. It took almost a minute but she made it to the other side of the hall, almost to Beca. She stopped and waved her hand low, hoping it would be in the brunette's field of view, wary of scaring her since she seemed to be blocking out her surroundings. The younger girl looked up, her eyes slightly surprised, but not alarmed.

"Chloe, hi!" Beca said, and slid her headphones back, resting them on her neck. The shorter woman glanced down the hall to her left then back at Chloe, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion. "Aren't you heading over to choir?"

"Yeah, but I saw you and I remembered you're always a few minutes late," Chloe replied with a shrug and a smile. "I figured you were probably waiting for the halls to be a little less hectic, and thought I'd walk with you." Beca's eyes widened in surprise, but she smiled and offered a subtle nod. Chloe grinned, glad for the extra time with the younger girl, asking "What are you listening to?"

Beca pulled at her headphones, unwrapping it from her neck and offering it to Chloe. Chloe reached out and took them with both hands, a look of reverence on her face, as if Beca had offered her a treasure. Beca looked down at her phone as she said "It's this playlist I made with songs that help me when I feel anxious. This song's called Begin Again by this band, Dispatch."

Chloe slid the headset over her ears, slightly taken aback by the weight. She didn't know much about electronics, but these felt incredibly well built and she guessed they were probably expensive. Almost as soon as she had the headphones comfortably around her ears the song started. The singer's soothing voice blended perfectly with the gentle harmony of the guitar as Chloe listened, and was transfixed. Her eyes closed and she gently dipped her head with the rhythm, rising and falling as the drums sped and slowed. She opened her eyes as the song drew to a close and saw Beca's eyes fixed on her. Chloe blushed a little, self conscious, but couldn't help but smile broadly as she carefully removed the brunette's headphones and handed them back.

"That song was so good Beca!" Chloe gushed, here eyes lit up excitedly, "It's so relaxing and peaceful in the start, but then the drums pick up and it makes you want to move, and oh my God the words to the bridge were so beautiful!" Beca took the headphones as they were handed to her, unable to stop her laughter as Chloe rambled. When Chloe finished Beca looked at her older friend, a shy smile still on her face.

"I - umm, I'm glad you like it." she said, biting her lower lip as she nervously as she glanced at her feet. Chloe beamed at the younger woman, elated to have Beca show her more of her playlist. Beca looked around, and Chloe became aware that the hall was almost totally empty. "We should-" Beca started, still looking a bit flustered, "We should probably go, choir just started." 

Choe nodded, even though she was much more interested in learning more about the adorable woman next to her than their choir section. She stepped back from the door, careful to leave enough room for Beca to feel safe, and the two of them settled into comfortable conversation as they headed to the choir room.

* * *

Beca let out her breath in a slow exhale as her eyes carefully followed through her work one last time. She had methodically written out the proof to Green's theorem, wanting to test her understanding. She found it was helpful to go through the formal structure of the theorems once she felt comfortable. The proofs were always in their most abstract form, and you couldn't get away with any memorized steps, you needed to understand what you were doing or you wouldn't be able to complete it. Her eyes reached the final line and was reassured that everything was in order, which gave her a simple satisfaction. 

Beca's eyes rose to where Chloe sat next to her at the older woman's kitchen table. It looked like the older woman was more than half way through her assignment and she hadn't asked Beca any questions yet. Beca smiled; she had been tutoring Chloe for just over four weeks, and while she hadn't been very worried that Chloe could understand the material once she had started helping the senior, but it was evident that Chloe was becoming more confident in herself, which Beca thought was far more important. She knew first hand how the value of being able to trust yourself enough to do things that intimidated you. 

Beca noticed Chloe's fingers as the redhead flexed and relaxed the muscles, something she did when she was lost in her thoughts. Beca found her thoughts wandering to other places for Chloe's fingertips to drift over aimlessly, and Beca's face felt like it was on fire. She forced her eyes away but couldn't shake the image playing out in her mind. Beca suddenly felt like she couldn't get enough air and wanted to be any place that wasn't sitting with her leg inches from Chloe's as her imagination trickled through increasingly detailed fantasies of the girl next to her. She stood up, instantly realizing that her movements were more abrupt than she intended. She knocked her chair back as the backs of her legs straightened, and Chloe looked up at her, alarmed by the sudden sound.

"Are you alright?" Chloe looked worried, clearly trying to suss out Beca's sudden agitation.

Beca nodded, feeling her chin bob and she realized she was exaggerating her movements still. She probably looked ridiculous. "No. I mean yes, I'm fine, nothing is wrong." Chloe's eyebrow rose uncertainly, and Beca felt her cheeks flushed even redder under the scrutiny. "I'm just kind of hungry. Do you mind if I make something? If you're hungry. You don't have to. Have anything, I mean. If you aren't. Hungry."

Chloe relaxed, biting her lip as she appeared to try to suppress laughter. Beca knew she was rambling and shut her mouth with deliberate intent. She watched as Chloe nodded, her eyes still amused, and gestured towards the kitchen. 

"Go ahead Becs, there's popcorn or you can do whatever. I'll have some of whatever you have." Chloe said with a smile, and Beca's heartbeat sped up at the sight, as it had so often when her friend looked so genuinely happy.

"Great. Uh, is it okay if I make you something?" Beca asked. Chloe's face lit up as she registered Beca's question.

"Like, cook something?" Chloe asked, looking for all the world like a child who was just told she might get ice cream if she behaved. Beca nodded, the beginnings of a smirk gracing her lips as Chloe's energy helped her forget her nervousness. "Awes!"

Beca said nothing, and quietly moved into the heart of the well appointed kitchen. She had watched Chloe move around enough over the past few weeks that she felt confident where most of the basic things were, and what she planned was pretty basic. She glanced back at the table and saw that Chloe had returned to her work, her back turned to Beca, and soft curls of auburn hair fell out of the bottom of the messy bun on her head. Beca slid open the drawer underneath Chloe's oven and found the collection of pans she expected. She peered thoughtfully and spotted what she was looking for, pulling out a heavy pan that had been buried under the cheap nonstick frying pans most people favored these days. 

The pan was cast iron, black with a very subtle sheen that caught the abundant light streaming in from the window over the sink. Beca examined it, noticing that the seasoning wasn't as nice as the pan she remembered from her home growing up, but it wasn't bad either. She opened the oven and slid the pan inside, then turned her attention to the oven's controls, setting the temperature after a few moments of fiddling.

Beca unconsciously began humming as she pulled out the ingredients she needed, her rendition of Avriel & the Sequoias floating through the kitchen. She measured flour, milk, eggs and a few simple spices, tipping each one into the high sided cup of the blender as she went. Her hips swayed gently to the melody playing in her head as she went. After a few minutes she paused and looked around the kitchen, puzzled.

"What're you looking for?" Beca jumped at the unexpected voice behind her, a high pitched squeak tumbling from her lips against her will. She whirled around, a giggling Chloe stood behind her as the shorter girl tried to slow her breathing. Beca huffed indignantly, her arms crossed in front of her. The image only made Chloe laugh harder and soon the redhead was doubled over, tears streaming from her eyes as she gasped for air. 

"That wasn't funny Chlo, you scared me to death!" Beca whined. After a few moments Chloe was able to stand back up, and she wiped tears from her eyes. "Where the heck do you keep your vanilla?" 

Chloe walked closer to the oven and reached for what looked like a tall, thin cabinet, which turned out to be a drawer which slid out silently on metal tracks to reveal a spice rack. Beca rolled her eyes and stalked over, waiting for Chloe to move. Instead the redhead picked up the vanilla and handed it to Beca, a wide grin on her face. Beca shook her head but couldn't help but return the infectious smile as she turned to finish the recipe.

"Y'know, you're really cute when you dance." Chloe said, the redhead giving a wink as Beca's face turned the color of a fire hydrant. Chloe just smiled and sat down, watching intently as the tiny brunette poured a splash of vanilla into the blender cup, then tipped a little more after a moment of scrutiny. "So what are you making?"

Beca shook her head and the shorter woman shot Chloe a glare, but her smile betrayed any seriousness the look held. Chloe made a show of pouting, her lip sticking out.

"You're not gonna tell me?" Chloe complained.

"Yeah, no. Girls who try to give me a heart attack get to wait to see what I bake them!" Chloe stuck her tongue out at the remark but said nothing. The kitchen was filled with noise as Beca ran the blender for a few seconds, the ingredients disappearing into a flurry as she pulsed the motor. She turned the machine off and lifted the glass container free, humming contentedly as she swirled the batter inside. She pulled a stick of butter from the refrigerator door as she walked to the oven, setting the blender cup down next to the range.

"So this should be done with clarified butter," Beca said, holding the butter up for emphasis, "but you don't have any, so this might be a little smokey." Chloe puzzled over what the young girl meant and watched as Beca quickly folded a dish towel and used it to wrap around the handle of the cast iron pan, pulling it from the oven. It smoked faintly as Beca placed it on the top of the stove and quickly cut off a thick pat of butter, tossing it into the pan. The effect was immediate, the butter sizzled as the fat heated up, and a billow of blue smoke filled the kitchen. Beca gave the pan a quick swirl then dumped the entire batter from the blender cup, returning the pan to the oven.

* * *

Chloe inhaled deeply, the rich aroma of whatever Beca had in the oven filling the room. The younger woman had made quick work of the dishes, ignoring Chloe's objections as she cleaned the blender and the other implements she'd used. Chloe smiled as she watched Beca drying the blender cup, feeling a deep warmth at the domesticity of it. Chloe had been aware of the growing feelings she had for the little brunette who had swept into her life so unexpectedly, and she added this moment to the collection of things that made her heart tighten when she thought about Beca. 

"So what's clarified butter, and why would it make it less smokey?" Chloe asked, catching Beca's eyes. The brunette put the last piece of the blender back together and slid it back under the cabinet where it was kept.

"So clarified butter is just butter that was heated and the milk fats were skimmed off." Beca sat back at the table, meeting Chloe's eyes. "The milk fats burn at a much lower temperature than the fat, so with a hot pan like that it smokes up." 

Chloe nodded, and slid her notebook over to Beca. The younger girl took it without any comment and began to look over the questions. Chloe glanced out the window, trying not to agonize over any mistakes she might have made. She was pretty sure that she had done all the problems right, Beca had done a fantastic job of explaining the topic to her yesterday, but she was nervous about letting the girl who had invested so much time in her down.

The kitchen grew quiet except for the occasional tics from the oven as the heating element warmed and cooled, trying to hold the oven steady at whatever temperature Beca had set it to. After what felt like an unbearable silence Beca pushed the notebook back to Chloe with a smile on her face.

"You got em all Beale." Chloe grinned and let out a whoop of celebration. Beca laughed at the reaction, watching Chloe as she punched her hands into the air, appreciating the victory dance. After a moment the two fell silent again, both looking into the other's eyes, although Beca glanced down at her hands several times as she tried to master her nerves. Chloe could see a deep well of feeling in her friend's eyes when they met again, and she couldn't stop herself from glancing at the younger woman's lips. The comfortable silence stretched on, and at length Chloe settled her hand next to Beca's on the table, her pinky lightly brushing against the brunette's skin.

The moment was shattered as the oven's timer sounded, the sharp insistent beep startling Chloe enough that she pulled her hand back a little. Beca grinned sheepishly, her own hand returning to her lap as she rose to her feet. She fetched the dish towel she had used earlier and folded it again. As the oven cracked open Chloe groaned out loud, the smell was even more divine inside. Beca pulled the pan out and Chloe caught a glimpse of a beautiful golden crust on what looked like a domed bread loaf, although she wasn't sure. Beca tipped the pan on its side and the contents slid out to the waiting cutting board, the edges glistening from the melted butter it had baked in. 

"I give you the dutch baby." Beca said with a dramatic flair, standing to the side. Now that it was on the plate Chloe could see that it was some kind of a golden pastry, the edges having some give to them. Beca sliced a comfortable portion and placed it on a plate, handing it to Chloe with a fork. She did the same for herself. The two sat back at the table and Chloe eagerly cut into her slice with the edge of her fork. Spearing a piece Chloe brought it to her mouth. The second it hit her tongue Chloe knew this was a game changer. The light texture, the rich flavors - Chloe was in love. She was embarrassed to realize a small moan had escaped her lips. As she finished she realized Beca was watching her with a hopeful expression.

"O-M-G!" Chloe gushed, "Beca, this is so good! Where did you learn that recipe?"

Beca smiled, seeming to genuinely appreciate Chloe's reaction, and she shrugged as she answered softly.

"Umm, after my Dad left my Mom used to have the neighbor watch me after school when she worked, Mrs. Chlevek - we didn't have money for a babysitter or anything. That was her mom's recipe. She would bake a lot, and she'd let me help. She taught me a lot, and every day she would always send a little bit of what we made home with me. I remember, my mom would always look so happy when she came home to cake or banana bread or madeleine."

Beca paused, smiling at the memory. Chloe sat transfixed; Beca hadn't really opened up any time before this, so she listened silently as she waited for Beca to continue, her pastry forgotten.

"Anyway, when I started to get older and Mom would leave me at home I wanted to see her happy like that, so I started baking with whatever we'd have in the house so she'd have something to come home to. She always worked so hard, and I just wanted to make her smile."

Beca finished her story and the two ate together without saying a word, as if she and Chloe were afraid to break the spell by speaking. Chloe eyed the younger girl, still processing all that she had learned about Beca. She wanted to ask so many questions, but she knew that Beca would open up in her own time, and she realized that all she wanted was for more of that trust, and to see that beautiful smile again. She felt her cheeks warm with color at that revelation, and she couldn't help but think back to earlier, and how she imagined Beca's lips would feel on hers. 

Finally, after they had both finished Chloe stood up and took the plates. Beca thanked her, and Chloe felt the reverent atmosphere ease back to normal. She cleared her throat, catching Beca's attention.

"So I got an A on my last quiz." Beca's face lit up at the news and Chloe grinned widely, brimming with excitement for the news

"That's so great Chlo!"

Chloe nodded, clearly pleased. She started to speak then paused and glanced hesitantly down at the plates she was scrubbing, and hoping Beca didn't.

"I umm, I was wondering if you'd stay for dinner." Chloe's eyes darted back to Beca, who cocked an eyebrow. "To celebrate." she clarified. The older woman watched her friend, trying to gauge her reaction. The moment stretched and Chloe felt a sense of panic rise in her chest, obviously Beca didn't feel comfortable or thought Chloe was being pushy.

"Uh, nevermind, you don't - you don't have to, you're probably busy or something." Chloe stammered, starting to pick up her plate, desperate to undo the mess she had made. Beca's hand touched hers, stopping in her place. Chloe looked into the brunette's steely eyes.

"No, I'd like that." Beca said softly, "Dinner sounds great."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long, long wait. I found it difficult writing with all the madness that was going on, both in the world and with my own family. I did some edits to my previous chapters, most fairly small, but you might find it helpful to reread the last chapter, since there's some backstory that I added which might be worth having as the story progresses. As always, none of the IP is mine, and the story has no beta, so everything that makes you mad is my fault and nobody else's. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

**Beca** : _Hey Mom, Chloe invited me to stay for dinner, so I'll be home later._

 **Mom** : _Ok hon, I should be home when you get here. Drive safe!_

 **Beca** : _Will do._

Beca locked the screen on her phone and slid it into her back pocket. Chloe was busying herself by the stove, a collection of ingredients assembled on the counter. Chloe hadn't told her what they were making, but from the items beside her Beca guessed it was some kind of Italian dish.

"Can I help?" 

Chloe turned as she looked up from the saucepan she was standing in front of, her usual at home on her lips.

"Umm, there's not much room to help with the sauce, but if you want to wash some lettuce and stuff I think a salad would go nicely." Beca nodded and Chloe turned her attention to the range, waiting for the oil in the pan to warm.

"What are you making anyway?" Beca asked, her hand brushing the refrigerator handle.

"Spaghetti alla puttanesca!"

Beca snorted as she laughed at how affected Chloe had made her voice, the brunette's chest heaving as she tried to stay quiet. Chloe looked over her shoulder, an indignant scowl written across her features.

Chloe huffed as she worked the knife in her hand, deftly cutting several cloves of garlic into thin slices, then mincing them. Holding the cutting board over the pan she scraped the pile into the saute pan and a sizzle rose sharply in the kitchen, the garlic warming in the hot oil. Beca had never seen Chloe cook before, and the woman moved with practiced ease. The kitchen began to fill with the pungent smell of aromatics as Chloe turned to face her.

"Why is that funny?" Beca shook her head, trying to placate the redhead as she pulled a head of romaine out from a drawer in the bottom of the refrigerator. 

"Nothing, you just got all italian on me with the accent and everything, it was adorable." Beca answered, breaking off the leaves of romaine as she watched the older woman work. 

"So you think I'm adorable?" Chloe asked, not turning around as she stirred the garlic with her spatula, tipping up a small bowl of capers and a can of chopped tomatoes. Beca's jaw dropped and Chloe turned toward her without a word.

"I- I didn't-" Beca stammered, trying to figure out what kind of response was right, wilting under Chloe's intensely blue eyes. Of course she thought the redhead was adorable. More like beautiful, actually. She couldn't tell if Chloe was trying to tease like she sometimes had, or if she was upset that she thought Beca said that. She stared at the lettuce inside the spinner as she fought to find an answer.

"You're too easy Becs, and it's cute how you get all flustered." Beca rolled her eyes in response even as her cheeks burned and she found herself wondering if she ever actually managed to stop blushing when she was around Chloe. The older woman turned her attention back to the sauce simmering on the stove, gently stirring with a wooden spatula, and Beca shook her head as she returned to her lettuce. She finished filling the salad spinner and rinsed the basket. Chloe began humming quietly to herself. A smile played across Beca's lips as she realized it was another song by the band Beca had shown her. Not the one she had played for her, but one of their earlier songs. She worked quietly, slicing carrots as she enjoyed the rich smells and Chloe's voice.

They worked like that, Beca tossing all of the ingredients and portioning the salads into the bowls as she listened to Chloe. The redhead was rarely far from Beca's mind, and she felt her stomach knotting as she thought about earlier that night while they had been baking. There was a moment when they had been talking and Beca had thought Chloe might kiss her. Or maybe she hadn't, maybe Beca was just misreading the situation, but she knew she had wanted her to. She snapped out of her reverie as she realized Chloe had drifted back to the table and sat down next to her. Beca glanced at the stove and saw the sauce pan steaming quietly, and she assumed it would simmer for a while.

"So I guess you liked them, huh?" Beca asked, her eyes on Chloe. The redhead looked at her quizzically. 

"Dispatch" Beca clarified, and Chloe's whole expression changed as she eagerly nodded in response.

"Oh my God, I love them!" she gushed, "I looked them up on Spotify when I got home and I can't stop listening to them." Beca giggled, amused by Chloe's burst of enthusiasm.

"Yeah, my mom and dad played them a lot when I was growing up. They used to listen to their music all the time, it always helps me relax." Beca said, remembering how things used to be before her dad had walked out. Her shoulders fell and she uttered a quiet sigh. Chloe seemed to notice the change in her mood. The older woman walked over, the movement of her arm registering in Beca's peripheral. She looked up, swallowing as she felt her heart skip a beat at the unbelievably blue eyes watching her carefully. Chloe reached out and barely touched her fingertips to Beca's hand.

"Are you OK?" the redhead asked, her voice soft, as if she was approaching an injured animal. "You seemed really happy one moment, then it's like a rain cloud is hanging over you."

Beca averted her eyes down and shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just a gloomy person Beale." Chloe seemed to consider that for a moment. Beca's eyes went wide as Chloe wrapped her hand around Beca's fingers, giving them a small squeeze in reply. Beca looked at their joined hands, completely caught off guard.

"No, I don't think so." answered Chloe, a small smile painted on her face. Beca stood still, paralyzed by the sudden contact and unable to think. She didn't know what to do and was scared that if she didn't respond that Chloe would think she hated her, but she wasn't sure if she could just sit there and hold hands. Shit, were they holding hands? Like for real holding hands, not just happening to have their hands touching? Her mind started racing trying to think of something safe to do or say, but as quickly as she had taken them, Chloe released her hand, clearly having not noticed Beca's moment of panic.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, could you make sure the sauce doesn't like, boil over, or anything?" Chloe asked. Beca nodded stiffly, still trying to slow down her racing thoughts, terrified that if she opened her lips she would say something stupid. Chloe offered a tiny wave and disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Chloe felt her phone buzz against her side as she finished in the bathroom. She nudged the faucet closed and reached her hands to the soft towel hanging by the door to dry them then pulled out her phone; the notification was a text message. She swiped her fingers across her screen until she pulled up a message from her mother. Her eyes scanned across the lines of the message and her face sunk into a frown with a low groan. She finished reading and swore softly to herself. She needed to talk to Beca.

She came around the corner into the kitchen and saw little math whiz standing next to the stove, staring at the saucepan. Chloe cleared her throat, not wanting to catch Beca off guard. The sophomore turned, a nervous smile on her face.

"I didn't let it boil, I promise."

"I knew you wouldn't." Chloe assured warmly. "So I know the plan was to just have dinner with my Dad because my Mom and brother were busy, but my Mom just texted me, and I guess their plans changed and she's bringing my older brother over for dinner."

Beca's eyes screwed up in confusion, and the younger girl fidgeted her ring with her thumb rapidly.

"Oh." she said in reply, her voice sounding slightly strangled. Chloe knew that Beca didn't feel that comfortable with people she didn't know that well. Or honestly anybody. She nodded, feeling guilty as she watched Beca's jaw begin to work too. 

"Is that OK? I know you don't, umm-" Chloe paused, unsure what to say without Beca thinking she was being rude. "I noticed you don't always seem comfortable with people you don't know that well. If you'd rather we can just grab a pizza someplace."

Beca looked up at her and Chloe could tell she was trying to come to a decision, the moment stretching out in the stillness of the nearly empty house. At length Beca nodded almost imperceptibly. Chloe took a step forward, then paused, thinking better of it. She rested against the counter a few feet away from Beca, the cold stonework pressing against her hip. She decided that letting Beca control the conversation would make it easiest for the younger woman. Her patience was rewarded after a few moments.

"It's, umm -" Beca hesitated for a moment., "It's your family, I don't want to complicate things, maybe I should leave so I don't bother them."

"You're not a bother Beca." Chloe said, confused. "I just didn't know if you'd want to have dinner with more people."

Beca seemed to consider that, then finally said "Okay." 

"Okay as in you still want to stay, okay?"

Beca looked worried, and nodded, saying cautiously, "If that's alright."

Chloe waved dismissively, laughing as she did. "Of course it's alright!"

From the front of the house Chloe heard the sound of the door opening and both women turned their attention to the living room. Chloe's father came into view, rolling the sleeves of his button down shirt up to his elbows.

"Oh, hello again Beca, it's- " His words were cut off with a grunt as Chloe practically tackled him, wrapping her arms around her father. He laughed as he returned the hug. Chloe let go after a moment, stepping back and looking at Beca, somewhat sheepishly, as she remembered how she had totally interrupted her father's greeting. Beca didn't seem to have been bothered by the exchange, however, and Chloe watched as her friend stepped toward them and offered her hand to her father.

"Nice to see you again Mr. Beale." said Beca as she shook the man's hand.

"John is good, Beca. I only make my interns call me Mr. Beale. Whatever you two are up to in here smells incredible."

Chloe's face lit up at her father's compliment.

"I invited Beca to stay for dinner." Chloe explained. "She was helping me make dinner." Chloe gestured to the salad bowl set on the table. Her father nodded and turned to the sink, washing his hands as he spoke over his shoulder.

"A tutor and a sous chef? You're quite a talented young woman." 

Beca offered a tight lipped smile. It seemed that she got flustered by compliments in general, not just Chloe's not so subtle flirting. If John seemed to sense her discomfort with the compliment he didn't make any indication of it, but he didn't say anything more either and Beca seemed to relax as her father asked about her day and the focus of attention shifted away from the tiny brunette. Chloe shrugged noncommittally, not really wanting to recount the argument she had gotten into with her best friend, Aubrey. Her father shook his head, and made some comment about how distant teenagers were as he dried his hands on the dish towel she was using, hanging it back on the handle of the oven.

"Daddy! Don't wipe your hands on the towel, I'm cooking with that. Gross." Chloe picked up the towel and playfully threw it at her father, who caught it easily. He grinned and held his hands up as if acquiescing defeat, then turned and walked out of the room, the towel in his hands as Chloe shook her head.

* * *

Beca watched as John left the kitchen and turned her attention back to Chloe, who was hovering over the sauce. 

"Hey Becs, Mom and Matthew will be home any minute. Do you mind packing up our stuff and tossing it on the couch?" she said, turning to face Beca.

"Oh, yeah, sure."

Beca closed her own notebook and slid it into her backpack along with her calculator and pencil. She zipped it shot and swung it over her shoulder so she would have free hands to carry Chloe's pile of books. She had left her bag on the sofa in the living room, so Beca picked up her textbook and stacked the notebook and binder on top, holding them close to her chest so they wouldn't slip out of her grip. She carried the pile into the living room and began to slip Chloe's pile into the main pocket. As she did, however, her bag slipped off of her shoulder and caught her arm. The extra tug on her arm caused her to lose her hold of Chloe's things and they fell on the floor. Beca whispered a curse under her breath and squatted down to pick everything up. Once she had everything she stood up and stored them safely in Chloe's bag. As she did she realized there was a paper on the floor, and she picked it up. The paper was a bit bigger than a note card, and the stock was heavy. She turned it over, realizing she was holding a photograph. It was a picture of Chloe, fairly recent, with a guy about her age. He stood a bit taller than Chloe, with sandy blonde hair and a Chris Evans level physique. He had handsome features and was undeniably attractive. Beca felt her stomach twist in an uncomfortable knot as it dawned on her that he was probably Chloe's boyfriend. _Of course Chloe had a boyfriend_ , she thought. Beca took the photo and stuck it in Chloe's bag, careful to put it between the textbook and the notebook so it wouldn't get bent. She felt like an idiot, thinking that Chloe might have been interested in her. Chloe was stunning, funny, and sweet, and Beca didn't even know if she was gay. Anyone would love to date her, and Beca chided herself for being so ridiculous. Beca was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of the front door opening, and she faced the sound like a startled deer. A young man stepped into the room, and Beca instantly recognized him as Chloe's brother. The young man had very different facial features and was noticeably taller - he had to have been at least six foot, but his complexion and hair colors were almost exactly like Chloe's, except his hair was a shade lighter, almost a fiery orange to Chloe's rich auburn curls. His green eyes locked on Beca and he smiled at her, his eyebrows raised in some unanswered question. Probably, _'Who is this crazy girl in my living room, and why does she look like her puppy just died.'_ Beca mused. He stepped further into the house and was immediately followed by a beautiful, well dressed woman.

"Oh, hello dear, you must be Beca."

The woman, who Beca assumed is Chloe's mother, strode past the young man swiftly. She eyes Beca up and down with a tight lipped smile, like an antique dealer appraising a piece they're unsure of. Beca nodded, completely taken back by how different this woman was from Chloe or her father. After a moment of scrutiny she smiled, and as if finally realizing the situation she smiled blandly.

"I'm Lynn, Chloe's mother, and this is her brother Matthew." 

The young man nodded slightly but was largely engrossed in something on his phone. Lynn turned without further comment and walked toward the kitchen, so Beca followed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable without having Chloe as a safety net. Beca might have realized how scary and confusing that thought was to her, but so her mind was such a torrent of jumbled emotions she couldn't sort through any one thing, and the tumult was becoming exhausting. She came into the kitchen in step behind Lynn and heard her greet Chloe. Her friend turned and acknowledged her mother with a weak smile. 

"How was your day dear?" asked Lynn, flipping through a pile of mail in her hand, not looking at Chloe.

"It was OK. Aubrey was freaking out because she got into the pre-law program at BU. She wouldn't shut up all day."

"Oh, that's great! Good for her." Chloe nodded at her mother, her arms wrapped around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm so excited for her, and that means we might be able to room together."

Lynn looked up with Chloe's last statement. She regarded Chloe for a moment, then replied, cooly, "Well that's if you get in honey."

Beca's eyes widened in surprise with what Lynn had said to Chloe, and the younger redhead looked gutted. Lynn didn't seem to notice either girl's reaction and simply walked to the garbage can, pressing the pedal with the toe of her shoe and discarding almost the full pile.

"Well, I'm going to go get changed for dinner girls. Chloe, do you think you could get things served?" Chloe nodded, and with that Lynn put down the two pieces of mail that had survived the cull and walked down the hall. Beca was stunned, she had never seen Chloe's usual bubbly persona dampened so quickly. It was like someone tossed a damp towel on a fire. The senior was pulling down a stack of wide plates from the cabinet, placing them on the counter. She wasn't really sure why, but Beca took a step toward her. The tiny brunette's chest was still a painful knot from the photo she had found and what it suggested, but seeing Chloe like this hurt even more. The redhead noticed her and offered a smile, but Beca had gotten used to Chloe's body language and she could tell it was for her benefit and the girl wasn't feeling better.

"What'd you make Chloe?" Beca turned, having not realized that Matthew had joined them.

"Uhh, puttanesca." Chloe was reaching up on her tiptoes for a serving bowl that was just beyond her reach, so she couldn't face her brother when she answered. Matthew groaned, either not noticing Chloe's struggle or not caring.

"Puttanesca? Couldn't you have made something with meat? I swear, you're trying to turn us into vegans or something." Matthew had sat down, and Beca could see he was watching Chloe, so it seemed impossible to her that he didn't notice Chloe's growing frustration. She fell back onto the balls of her feet and turned to face Matthew, apparently having given up.

"Matt, there's a ton of shredded parmesan on the salad in front of you." Matthew shrugged and twitched his eyebrows up.

"Okay, so?" Beca bit her lip, fighting to suppress the smile that threatened to evidence itself as she caught Chloe rolling her eyes, a single hand resting accusingly on her hip.

"So," Chloe said, stretching the word out, "cheese isn't vegan. Ergo I'm not trying to turn you into a vegan, possibly because I'm not even a vegan. Now, can you please get the serving bowl?"

Matthew scoffed, but still stood up and fetched the bowl, reaching it easily. Beca decided to try to offer Chloe a hand since nothing seemed to be going her way and darted forward to take the pile of plates so that Chloe had space beside the stove for the large serving dish. She made a quick circle around the table, gently placing a plate at each place setting. Chloe was back at the stove top, carefully dipping a measuring cup into a large steaming pot where the pasta was cooking and setting some of the water aside. She easily lifted the stock pot full of roiling water and hauled it to the sink, making Beca swallow nervously as she watched the girl flex her slender arms, muscles tightening and standing as she carefully tipped the boiling water and pasta into the colander. Chloe worked quickly, dumping the spaghetti into the saucepan along with a few frugal splashes of the water, which confused Beca. For all her baking, Beca knew comparatively little about cooking. Movement near the refrigerator drew Beca's attention and he saw Chloe's parents return. Her father was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Beca studied it, making out a light green triangle and some writing at the top, but it was so badly faded she couldn't be sure what it had originally been. Beca could tell that Chloe's mom had changed, but both outfits looked so similar in style that Beca wasn't even sure what was different. Chloe appeared next to her, carrying the serving dish, now full of the beautiful pasta that Chloe had cooked. Beca had to admit, the meal smelled divine, and she was looking forward to eating. As the meal was ready the four still standing gathered around the table and settled into their seats.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the usual disclaimers apply.

The kitchen fell into an awkward stillness, punctuated only by the clack of forks and knives on stoneware and occasional polite requests for a shared salt shaker. Beca chewed her food nervously as she focused on the plate in front of her. She tilted her head slightly, finding Chloe in the corner of her eye and saw the redhead staring into space,. her jaw working mechanically as if she was on autopilot. Beca let her eyes fall back to her setting, disheartened and distinctly uncomfortable. The room felt sterile - not at all the same house that she had spent so many afternoons with Chloe the past month, and more - it felt strangely familiar in a way Beca didn't enjoy. 

Dinners with her mom were few and far between lately. With her mother working two jobs to make ends meet, Beca had grown accustomed to eating her dinners alone lately. Even with that new normal, when they managed to sit down together she and Beca always found something to chat about. It was meaningless a lot of the time, but her mother would at least ask about what she'd missed hearing about with school, or talk to Beca about how her college classes were going. To be honest the past few months Beca sort of dreaded those conversations because her mom would always find a way to steer the conversation to the elephant in the room. Beca had been offered a full scholarship to Barden University because of her math work. Beca's mom was understandably elated about Beca getting that kind of an opportunity given how unlikely it was Beca could even make it through a community college without seeking loans, but Beca wasn't sure, and her indecision had become a deeper and deeper source of friction between them lately. Beca would have traded that for whatever this unsettling quiet was.

The plate in front of her was identical to all the others at each setting, obviously part of a matched set, and Beca had seen more stacked in the cabinet. Probably enough for eight or ten people. They were much nicer than the dishes Beca and her mother used at home, the neatly coordinated plates with their subtle enamel ring adding a splash of color and texture around the edge, the matching dessert plates stacked neat and antiseptic in the cabinets above the sink. So different from the chipped and mismatched Corelle ware Beca was used to at home, most finding their way home after a trip to Goodwill. Beca thought about how different those plates were, and how foreign the room felt to her in that moment. Just as Beca was convinced that she would have to chew the one mouthful of food into an unrecognizable pulp just to keep her mind away from the deafening clicks and scrapes Chloe's father broke the stalemate, and it was all Beca could do to keep her sigh of relief from being audible.

"How is the choir going girls? Chloe tells me you're quite a singer as well as being adept at math."

Beca felt a cold horror grasping around her neck as three sets of eyes swiveled to her, waiting, like alien overlords observing a captive insect. She cleared her throat and looked down, hoping she could hide her look of panic. Suddenly she felt Chloe's hand on hers, a warming calm radiating from her touch and quieting the terror that was squeezing her chest. She looked up and saw a reassuring smile on the redhead's lips.

"We're working on a new medley for the fall show. It's going pretty well so far." Chloe answered, and Beca shot her a thankful smile, her breathing settling.

"Any Clapton?" John asked. His tone was hopeful, but the wry grin on his lips betrayed his expectations.

"Y'know, Daddy," Chloe said through a slight laugh, "I don't think that's really the kind of music the school's expecting."

"You're probably right."

Beca swallowed, trying to conquer her nerves.

"The puttanesca is really good Chloe." her voice sounded hollow to her, but as she looked back to her side she saw that Chloe's face was glowing. It was such a welcome change from what she had seen a few minutes ago that Beca completely forgot how afraid she had been of speaking.

"It'd be better with some sausage or something." grumbled Matthew.

Chloe stared but he didn't even meet her eyes, and without bothering to reply Chloe let the moment pass.

"Thanks Beca." answered the redhead, apparently intent to pretend she hadn't heard her brother's jab.

"We appreciate that you were willing to help Chloe with her math Beca." Lynn said after another minute or so of quiet had fallen on the room. Beca looked up, surprised to even have been acknowledged by Lynn, much less complimented.

"Of course, you shouldn't have had to;. not if Chloe bothered applying herself to anything serious." she continued, and Beca's look of bewilderment shifted to irritation as she realized why Lynn had brought her tutoring up. The feeling that Lynn's appreciation was just an excuse to attack Chloe soured the thanks. She felt a heat rising in her chest that she didn't quite understand, but it felt like her silence was the cap to a vessel filling with steam - and she was certain she would explode if she didn't say something.

"Chloe appies herself just fine." she blurted out. 

The words had been much louder than she'd meant for them to be, and she forced herself to relax her hands once she realized that her deathgrip on the fork in her left hand was leaving her knuckles white. The sudden proclamation had earned her a stunned expression from most of the table. She took a breath, recovering herself.

"Um, I mean I don't think that was why she was having a hard time. She just needed a different teaching style for it to click. She's been doing great once we figured out a way that made sense for her."

John seemed to be considering the comment, and Matthew just rolled his eyes, but Lynn's reaction was the most pronounced. The woman barked out a cruel laugh and waved her hand dismissively.

"That's nice of you to say Beca, but anyone can learn any way if they bother to try."

Beca bit her cheek, the heat in her chest approaching real anger. She had seen how hard Chloe had worked, and she was dumbstruck to hear that effort dismissed out of hand.

"Well, she got a ninety-seven on her last quiz, so I guess she did something right."

Lynn stopped, and Beca couldn't find any motivation to hide the smug look she knew she had on. Beca met Lynn's eyes and found a cold glare, like watching the frigid waters between shifting plates of ice in the arctic.

"The hospital is facing a delay with the new federal requirements for large capital projects."

John's voice boomed through the air and snapped Beca's attention out of the trance she realized she had lost herself in. She turned and caught his eyes, expecting anger for her silent challenge to his wife, but instead he smiled kindly at her then his eyes flitted beyond her. She watched his expression harden just a bit. The tone and the look seemed to settle some unspoken question about whether his change in topics was negotiable. Lynn asked some questions of him in return and Beca found herself lost very quickly, not really understanding what Chloe's father did for a living, and feeling even less investment in the discussion of law and policies that the two were wading into.

Beca felt something brush against her leg and looked down to see Chloe resting her knee against her own thigh. She nervously cleared her throat and hazarded a glance up to Chloe. The redhead's eyes held hers, and she had a half-formed smile. Beca felt their legs brush again and Chloe mouthed something that looked like thank you before she took another fork's worth of salad and began to chew. Beca wasn't sure what to make of that, or the heady recollection of what had just happened as it flooded at her. Her stomach twisted slightly as she realized how she'd spoken to Chloe's mother, but even as she felt sick thinking about the overtly hostile tension, she didn't feel the usual squeezing anxiety that she so often felt in an uncomfortable situation. She only felt the remnants of her anger, smoldering like a coal somewhere in her stomach. When she thought about how hard Chloe had pushed herself, how sick she had been when she made mistakes, and how excited she was when she saw her work paying off, and how blind Lynn was to all of it, it was like a bellows had breathed life into them/.. That anger, and the strangely familiar yet distant sadness from the silence at the beginning of the meal were the thoughts that swam in her mind as she finished the dinner with the four Beales; Beca beside Chloe and somewhere very far away at the same time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever since I updated. My father passed away and I've had absolutely no creative motivation until now. I'll be trying to get back to semi-regular updates, or at least not two months between updates. Enormous thanks to the eagle-eyed [177-8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/177_8/bookmarks) for helping me with editing for this chapter. 
> 
> As always I don't known any of these characters or IP.

Chloe placed the last of the dishes on the sliver of counter between the range and the sink. She lifted the cold metal of the faucet to run the water but her father's strong hand landed on hers and stayed it.

"You made a great dinner honey, I'll get the dishes if you and Beca want to hang out for a little while."

Chloe turned to face him, catching his gesture as he nodded his head toward the stairs at the front of the house.

"Are you sure, Daddy?" 

Her father offered a soft chuckle and a nod in reply.

"You two have been working plenty hard the past few weeks, I think I can handle loading the dishwasher if you guys want to relax in your room or something."

Chloe grinned at her father, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek in thanks. She quickly walked toward the living room where she had seen Beca walking after dinner, her footsteps light. She felt a flutter in her stomach as she caught sight of the brunette, neatly checking her bag. Beca straightened up as she paused what she was doing. Her left hand caught some of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, revealing the blue eyes that might just be Chloe's favorite feature. 

Chloe felt a familiar pang of guilt as she let her eyes roam. She knew she should tell Beca how she felt, and she wanted to, but she couldn't escape her fears over how Beca might react. Earlier she was certain they had shared a moment where the electricity between them was almost a physical force, but she was terrified that if she had misread things that Beca might be so uncomfortable she wouldn't want to be friends, and the idea of losing Beca was even more heartbreaking. It still felt like she was lying to Beca, even if it was just by not admitting how she felt.

"Oh, hey. I hadn't seen you walk in."

Chloe was snapped out of her reverie by Beca's voice. She had apparently caught sight of Chloe from the corner of her eye once she rearranged her hair and Chloe felt her teeth lock in a silent grimace over how Beca would take being stared at.

"Yeah," she said, desperately hoping she sounded cooler than she felt in that moment, "my dad offered to do the dishes so we could hang out."

"Cool." Beca said quietly.

"Did you want to listen to music in my room or something?"

"Uh, sure."

Chloe subconsciously caught her bottom lip in between her teeth, wondering if she had really misjudged Beca and she had only stayed out of politeness for a thank you dinner or something.

"I mean, you don't have to. You can totes just head home if you want. I just thought- I mean, you had shown me some really awesome music and I wondered..." Chloe felt her voice get stuck in her throat, her confusion complete as she heard a giggle fall out of Beca's lips. The brunette watched her, a small smile spreading.

"You okay, Beale?" Chloe nodded quickly, earning a tiny shake of Beca's head and Chloe let out a sigh as she realized she had been holding her breath nervously.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine, of course."

Chloe forced herself to hold eye contact with the younger girl, somewhat surprised that Beca didn't glance away, but it seemed that her own nervousness had given the other girl some confidence of her own.

"Yeah, you are." Beca said with a smirk. Chloe felt her cheeks flash red for a moment, still caught off guard by her self-consciousness and Beca's apparent lack of any.

"So..." Chloe followed Beca's gaze, realizing the brunette was looking expectantly towards the stairs.

"Oh, right." she answered, turning towards the staircase.

* * *

Beca followed behind Chloe, a few steps back on the stairs. Her fingers ran up the side of one of the well polished balusters, the stained wood cool as her fingertips traced its shape, far nicer than the cheap wooden banister screwed to the wall in her apartment, countless layers of paint slathered over it with thick drips dried forever along the bottom. 

Her eyes followed up the stairs to the bare heel in front of her, and up the skinny jeans hugging the rest of Chloe's legs and beyond. Beca's eyes shot back up to the ceiling self-consciously as she tried to rein in her imagination as it ran off into less polite waters again.

Reaching the second floor Chloe turned, leaning into the first door on the left which opened into a bedroom. Beca wasn't sure what she had been expecting; possibly a tidal wave of pink and an army of stuffed animals, but instead Chloe's room was a bright and warm space. Her desk had a corkboard with the obligatory flyers and school pendants, but otherwise the walls were clean and tidy. A beautiful watercolor of a butterfly hung over the small side table next to Chloe's bed and over the headboard a string of feathers was draped. 

Chloe gestured to the foot of her bed and Beca sat down, smoothing the folded comforter with her palms as she sat. Chloe pulled her laptop out of her backpack and opened it on the desk, briefly picking up a remote that Beca guessed turned on a set of wireless speakers while she waited for the computer to turn on.

"Cool room." Beca said, still looking around at the other subtle decorations. Chloe's grin spread across her face as she shook her hair down over her shoulders. She quickly twisted it up into a lazy bun and secured it with a hair tie.

"Thanks." she replied, sitting on the edge of the chair next to the desk. The quiet of the room gave way to a few clicks as Chloe navigated with her mousepad until she had her music player queued up to the song she had wanted.

"I found a song I wanted to show you, I thought you'd really like it."

Beca sat up a little, not quite sure what to expect. Chloe seemed to take a cue that she was ready and one final click heralded a warm acoustic guitar that rose from the speakers sitting on the shelf. Beca listened carefully, feeling the bass notes wind around the melody before a relaxing male voice began. 

_One last time in the darkness  
Let’s lie still as the night  
And hold a shroud to cloud the growing light  
Morning holds out a finger  
Pale as bone to the sky  
A rake that takes the slumber from our eyes_

Without even realizing it, Beca's eyes had closed as she imagined a warm summer night laying underneath a canopy of stars, copper colored hair turned mahogany in the dark brushing against her fingertips as Chloe lay beside her. The song continued on, and Beca sighed as she relaxed, leaning back on her wrists. The bed shifted underneath her and Beca opened her eyes, and found Chloe beside her. They sat still beside one another, allowing the moment to settle on them.

_Down by the stream there’s a Maple  
See how she sheds her leaves  
Idle they fall to capture and enthral  
And then float away to sea  
In the morning light_

As Beca felt the warmth from Chloe's leg seep into hers, she felt her heartbeat quicken. She stole a glance at the redhead's features as she bobbed her head to the music before looking forward again. The music seemed to fade away, nothing registered except the way her fingers tingled every time they brushed against Chloe's jeans. 

Beca turned her head again only to find Chloe's dazzling blue eyes trained on her, causing her breath to catch. Chloe studied her without speaking, and Beca couldn't help but look over her friend's face and think how beautiful she was. 

Beca licked her lips nervously and couldn't help but notice Chloe follow the movement. Beca followed suit without thinking and realized that they had both slowly shifted into one another's space, like two planets slowly surrendering to the gravity pulling them towards one another. The moment stretched, unbearable and comfortable at once, in a way that the brunette wasn't sure she could begin to articulate.

"Beca?" 

She didn't expect Chloe's voice to be so close, despite their proximity.

"Yeah." Her voice was a whisper and for a long moment Beca wasn't even sure it had existed outside of her own imagination.

"Can I- Can I kiss you?" The redhead's breath tickled Beca's lips with the question.

"Okay."

Beca stood still, unsure of herself, trembling. Her muscles danced in anticipation but she was frozen out of fear that she would collapse if she so much as moved. She felt more than saw Chloe's body lean further into her space until she didn't even know how they weren't touching. Chloe held herself there for a few excruciating heartbeats, her eyes finding Beca's, giving her a final moment to change her mind. Beca nodded imperceptibly, trusting that Chloe would understand. 

Thankfully she did. The redhead let her lips settle through the last fraction of space between them. Beca's eyes fluttered and fell closed without conscious thought as she felt the soft warmth of Chloe's lips press against hers.

Chloe's embrace was gentle and patient, although Beca had only had one other kiss to compare it to, and she had been seven when Ryan Murray gave her a rock and insisted she had to marry him with a kiss. Still, this was a world apart from that memory. After what felt like far too short a time, Chloe pulled back for a moment. Their eyes found one another, the redhead's offering an unasked question. Beca closed the distance between them in an answer, not even bothering to breathe. 

Chloe's arm found its way around Beca's waist as their lips met again, less tentatively this time. Beca melted into Chloe as the redhead's other hand slipped along Beca's ear, cradling her neck and she gently tugged on the brunette's bottom lip in a final kiss before a need for air pulled them apart once again. Beca filled her lungs greedily, locking eyes again as Chloe gently rubbed their noses together, her forehead resting between Beca's eyebrows.

"I really like you Beca." she said through kiss bruised lips. Beca, still punch drunk, nodded absently.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, a playful edge to her voice.

"I mean I like you, too." Beca said, nervous despite Chloe's obvious humor. "A lot."

Chloe giggled as she nodded. 

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Son is _Audabe_ by The Gentle Good


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Highschool AU
> 
> Trigger warning for mild ableist comments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm quite sorry about the long hiatus. Here's a new chapter, and I'm already pretty well into the next so I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to keep up with biweekly or even weekly updates. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> As always I own none of the IP or characters here, have no beta currently so any mistakes are solely my fault.

Chloe's phone let out a hushed buzz from beside her, the soft fabric of her comforter soaking up and silencing most of the vibrations that leaked out from the device's body. She picked it up and tilted the screen towards her. As the screen lit up the sight of Beca's name quickened her heartbeat. The book Chloe had been studying fell to the bed beside her hip, forgotten, as fingers hastily danced to unlock the screen.

 **QT Math Whiz** : _Hey, I just got home. Wanted you to know I was safe, or whatever._

 **Beale** : _aww, thx!!!_

 **Beale** : _i miss you already_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _I miss you too. Thanks for inviting me to stay for dinner. I had fun._

 **Beale** : _well i do make the best puttanesca_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _Not quite what I meant._

 **Beale** : _no? well wut did u mean?_

At the bottom of the conversation the telltale ellipses popped up and disappeared several times next to Beca's name. Chloe couldn't help but grin as she pictured Beca typing and retyping nervously. After a few moments with no progress Chloe giggled to herself and decided to take pity.

 **Beale** : _if you meant the kisses then i had fun too_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _You are the worst Beale._

Chloe leaned back onto her pillows, wiggling her shoulders to sink into a more comfortable position as her weight settled against the headboard beneath. An image of Beca's grumpy pout and the soft smile that the tiny woman was powerless to fully hide too hold in Chloe's imagination and the thought filled her stomach with a warm, tingling sensation.

Her fingers drifted over the screen as the two settled into conversation, the time vanishing as the night aged outside her window. After a time the muted chimes from the clock in the front hall made their way through her bedroom door signalling midnight. 

Chloe looked up at the clock in the top right of her phone's screen in disbelief, cursing softly that it was so late. A handful of notebooks peered out of the opened zipper of her backpack in mute accusation. She let her head fall back heavily her pillow as her chest deflated in a long, frustrated sigh. After indulging in a few seconds of self-pity she shifted to sit up and eyed her phone, missing Beca just at the idea of saying goodbye.

 **Beale** : _i just realized its after midnite. gtg. see you tomorrow babe!!!xxx_

 **QT Math Whiz** : _Okay, good night. Have good dreams._

 **Beale** : _u2_

The chat blinked away, quickly being replaced by Chloe's favorite study play list. As soon as the music started pouring out of her wireless speakers Chloe locked the phone and blew a raspberry at the blank glass, plugging its charging cable into the bottom before sending it sailing onto her bed in a gentle arc. 

She eyed the backpack, mentally organizing her homework before deciding to tackle the most important assignment first. A pen and her history notebook soon joined her phone on the bed, followed by Chloe with her textbook in tow. An afghan over her lap completed the arrangement and Chloe set to reading the chapter her teacher had assigned, humming along to Dirty Paws as she did.

* * *

Beca cracked her eyes open to the chirping singsong of fake sounding birds coming out of her cell phone. She blinked rapidly, willing her eyes to focus as she tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. The usual corner of her dresser where her phone should be was a void.

Puzzled she turned her head one from side to side, trying to localize the insistent chirps. The sound was coming from her sheets. She sat up and rummaged her hands through the folds of cotton. Eventually her fingers bumped into hard plastic, the offending noise pitching up in intensity as it was freed from her bedding before falling silent as Beca muted the alarm with a groan. 

The previous night swam back to her and she recalled that she had been drifting to sleep with her phone in her hand, thinking about Chloe's last messages. She played through the previous night in her head, a silly smile spreading across her face. Memories of warm lips and the weight of Chloe as she leaned into Beca. The reverie was interrupted with a series light but resolute knocks on the bedroom door.

When no reply seemed forthcoming the voice of Beca's mother came through the door, muffled by the obstruction. "Beca, honey, are you up?"

Beca eyed the door, feeling a prickle of irritation. Her mother was probably going to tell her she'd have to work late again tonight. Another extra shift to help a friend. Beca nodded without thinking, then sighed as she reflected that her mother had no way of seeing her. Not feeling very much like shouting, Beca rose without saying a word, sucking in a breath sharply as her feet touched the cold faux hardwood floor. She quickly crossed to the door, scrunching her toes in order to arch as much of her foot away from the cold as she went. Opening the door Beca spotted her mother, neatly made up for work and smiling. 

"Yeah mom, I'm up," Beca said, her voice husky and tired. "What do you need?" 

Beca covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn, apologizing quietly under her breath as she waited for her mother's answer.

Smiling, her mother said, "Melissa needs me to cover her night shift again tonight. It's the last time, but her husband has been stuck on jury duty and she's had a miserable time trying to find child care."

Her mother smiled apologetically as if she realized she had been rambling before she finished. "Anyway, I'll make it up to you, I'll be home for the rest of the week."

Beca shrugged in answer to her mom's expectant expression, understanding the decision. She didn't even know if she could have explained what bothered her about the recent string of lonely nights. Beca was always quiet, barely talking even when her mother was home.

Yet even so, Beca missed her mom's presence. Even if it was just quietly watching television together or listening to her mom recount her day while she enjoyed the dinner Beca made, at least she was there. Lately it felt like her mother was just missing.

"Yeah, sure mom," Beca said. "Whatever."

As soon as the words slipped off of her tongue Beca realized they were sharper than she meant. Her mother's hopeful smile fell slightly and Beca grimaced, not quite sure what to do about the strike of guilt she felt. Her mother tried to gather herself and leaned in for a quick hug, used to Beca's stiff reception.

"Well, have a good day honey. Do you need any money for dinner?" she asked, earning a silent shake of Beca's head. Her mother nodded and stepped away, turning towards the stairs and the first few steps of her commute.

Beca closed the door, her shoulders slumping as she played the conversation over in her mind, wishing she'd offered her mother more patience, or apologized. Her thoughts soon turned to school, however, and Beca was mollified as she realized that she'd get to see Chloe in choir today, and the thought made it very difficult to dampen the smile that threatened to dominate Beca's face.

* * *

Chloe came to a stop at her locker, bouncing up on her tiptoes as she did. Her fingers made short work of the lock, four years of muscle memory making the action almost subconscious. She tugged upward on the metal tab above the notched wheel after the last number was set, the door swinging open against the adjacent locker with a clang.

Chloe let her bag swing around her, the weight balancing on shoulder so she could swap out the books and notebooks she wouldn't need today and trading them for the binder of music for choir. As she slid it carefully into the now vacant space in her backpack Chloe angled her head to peer lower, looking her hair over in the mirror. She felt silly, it was the end of a long day at school, but she still wanted to make sure her hair looked tidy. 

"Hey there stranger."

Chloe didn't have to turn to know the face that was connected to the honeyed, sing-song voice beside her belonged to her best friend Aubrey.

"Hey Bree," Chloe replied.

She decided to ignore the stranger remark. It was true that she hadn't seen Aubrey outside of school in almost two weeks. Between her tutoring and all of her classwork as they inched towards graduation she hadn't really seen anybody. Instead she opted for flattery.

Chloe turned to face Aubrey and asked, "Is that a new blouse?"

Aubrey looked down at the yellow silk that fell from her shoulders into a flattering but conservative neckline.

"Yes and no, I think it's the first time I've worn it, but it's been in my closet for a while."

Chloe nodded, slipping her free arm through the vacant strap in her bag and sliding the bundle onto her back. She gestured with a nod toward the direction of the rehearsal hall and Aubrey fell into step beside her.

They chatted as they walked, Aubrey regaling her with some of the comings and goings of their friends at school. Chloe nodded along but kept finding herself distracted, looking for a messy brunette bun hiding under bulky headphones as she walked through the thicket of students. She registered a change in Aubrey's tone of voice and met her friend's eyes, clearly lost.

"Are you even listening to me?" Aubrey questioned, the naked irritation in her voice unmistakeable.

"Yeah, sorry. I just zoned out. Run that by me one more time?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes and let out a huff.

"I said that Stacie and I are going to Luke DeLaney's party tonight. Should I have Stacie pick you up, or do you want to meet us at my house?"

Chloe vaguely recalled being invited, frowning as she thought about it.

"I don't know about that Bree. I'm so stressed with classes and applications and everything, I just-"

Aubrey cut her off with a dismissive wave of her hand, her vibrant pink fingernails flashing.

"All the more reason to come! You need to let loose and relax."

Chloe tried to fight the grimace she was sure was trying to take hold on her face. She had a hard time pretending she didn't hear hints of her mother in Aubrey's tone of voice, and it didn't take much imagination to picture her mother insisting that Chloe should go out, rub shoulders with people. Invest in the connections that supposedly made the world run.

"I don't know, I've got my tutoring and then I think I'll just stay home."

Aubrey recoiled as if Chloe had told her that she was planning to spend the night dissecting small animals.

"I don't know what's up with you Chloe, but you need to figure out your priorities."

Without another word Aubrey picked up her pace, leaving Chloe in her wake. Chloe allowed herself a small sigh, wishing she could figure a way to make Aubrey understand her.

* * *

Choir rehearsals were about halfway done and Beca stood patiently in her section flanked by a few other altos. They had just finished the first section they were practicing today and the director, a sympathetic looking man named Mr. Walsh had told them to take a five minute break while he excused himself to take an emergency call in the office that butted up against the front of the rehearsal room. 

As soon as Mr. Walsh had closed the door students started milling around, like gas atoms expanding to fill the volume they were in. Beca stood still, casually watching as everyone drifted to and fro. She gripped her sheet music, the familiar feel of the heavy paper stock grounding her. Beca liked the routine nature of class schedules, it made things simple and organized, and she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable with the interruption. She didn't like the confusion that swept in to replace their teacher. 

Beca turned toward the section where she knew Chloe would be, craning her neck as she stretched onto the tips of her toes. She looked for the telltale shock of auburn hair in the sopranos that would mean she'd found Chloe. The idea of her bright, cerulean eyes made something inside Beca's chest flutter. They had said hi for a few moments before class started, but Beca found herself eager to see her smile all the same. 

Without warning someone bumped into Beca from behind, impacting her shoulder painfully and sending her music to the floor. Beca crouched down to pick up the bound sheets up.

"You should be more careful spaz."

Beca turned around as she rose back to her feet. A tall, imposing blonde loomed over her, talking Ashley, the alto who stood behind Beca. Recognition flooded into her brain as Beca recalled Chloe talking about this girl and how long they had been friends. What was her name? Abby? No, she thought. Aubrey. Beca ground her teeth for a moment, not happy with the situation.

"You walked into me," Beca said quietly, her voice flat.

"What did you say?"

Aubrey had turned back around, clearly unhappy, although Beca didn't really understand why. The taller woman squared herself to Beca, both hands poised haughtily on her hips.

"I said-" Beca paused, taking a breath as she tried to figure out what was expected of her. It was obvious to Beca that she couldn't have done anything to avoid their collision. Had the girl not seen her? Beca frowned, wishing again that Mr. Shaw hadn't left so she wouldn't have to worry about people who walked into her.

"I was just saying that I couldn't be more careful," she repeated. Hoping to clarify she quickly added, "Because you walked into me."

Aubrey scoffed, eying Beca up and down. Beca spun her thumb ring, feeling the polished inner metal glide over her skin easily. She dropped her eyes to the floor to avoid Aubrey's glare, noticing the girl's shoes instead. They were clean and barely showed any wear. They looked expensive, the same as her clothes. 

"What's with your voice?" Aubrey asked. The abrupt shift in topics confused Beca.

"What?"

"Your voice," Aubrey repeated. "It's like you're a robot, your voice never changes. It's distracting"

"What? I don't-" Beca began stammering, completely unsure of how to respond. Aubrey just stared, her eyebrows creeping higher.

"Does she even sing?" Aubrey asked, turning to Ashely who said nothing but snickered. 

"I sing," Beca said, her voice becoming strained.

Aubrey crossed her arms, her dusty green eyes locked onto Beca who squirmed under the continued eye contact. She scoffed again, disapproving and cold. "Bullshit," Aubrey spat, hovering far too close for Beca's liking. She took a half step back out of instinct. The move seemed to embolden Aubrey who grinned like a hyena leading a pack to close in on a kill.

She started to repeat the first line of the piece they were practicing, her voice held in a monotone. The imitation was met with laughter by a number of the closest students.

Beca glanced around before dropping her eyes to the floor, her breaths coming shorter and faster. Several of the other students laughed at Aubrey's impression. Beca started nervously plucking at the edge of her choir notebook, the slightly rolled plastic edge catching in between her fingernails.

"See? That's not singing," Aubrey said icily. "Why don't you just leave so we don't have to listen to your weird robot voice," Aubrey questioned. 

Beca squeezed her eyes shut. Her chest felt like it was being crushed and all she wanted to do was get away, but she couldn't get her legs to move. She couldn't do anything, it felt like she was trapped in time, watching herself from outside. Aubrey uncrossed her arms and reached out, her finger harshly tapping Beca on the forehead twice, her fingernail catching Beca's skin. She flinched at the unwelcome contact.

"What, are you deaf too?"

Beca's stomach tightened into a knot, and she hated herself for feeling the bloom of heat on her right cheek as a tear crept down it.

"What the fuck Aubrey!?"

Beca and Aubrey both jerked their heads to the side in the same moment, turning their attention to where Chloe was standing a few feet away.


End file.
